


A Deal's a Deal

by acpaul19



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Clueless Lucifer, Eventual Smut, F/M, Horrific Murders, Intelligent Lucifer, Maze is a badass, Strong Chloe, gruesome, light and dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2019-10-10 20:51:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 29
Words: 51,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17433314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acpaul19/pseuds/acpaul19
Summary: Lucifer and Chloe are working on a case when Lucifer discovers there are weird similarities between it and a previous adventure of his on the earthly plane. He must find an artifact to fix the situation. Chloe, meanwhile, is trying to get a date with a fellow single parent. They make a deal to help each other out while ignoring any feelings whatsoever for each other.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have completed this story, however, I am in desperate need of a beta reader! If you're interested, please let me know in the comments. As soon as a chapter is read through, I will post it. You may get multiple updates a week on this and some fun facts to go along with it! I hope you enjoy.

Chloe stood in front of her daughter’s school, waiting to pick up Trixie. It was supposed to be Dan’s day, but he was stuck on some stake out and only bothered to send her a quick text that he wouldn’t be able to make it.

Huffing next to her car, Chloe’s mind drifted back to the case she and Lucifer were working on. Three victims with nothing in common except how they died. The first victim was deemed a suicide, the second victim wasn’t found until after the third, and the LAPD had no evidence to go on. All three were found in their beds, scratches up and down their arms, legs, and finally their necks. They all had scratched until they bled out from the carotid artery. It was gruesome and horrifying. Each victim had the same look of strained anguish on their faces. 

Chloe shivered and tried to bring her mind back to the task at hand, Trixie. She plastered a smile on her face when she saw her daughter bouncing up to her.

“Hi, Mommy!”

“Hey Monkey, how was your day?” Chloe pulled her daughter into a hug. It was cases like this that reminded her how fragile life was.

“It was great! We got to learn about the solar system and all the planets. Did you know that Pluto isn’t a planet anymore?” Trixie was vibrating with energy. Chloe smirked. If she had half that energy, they’d probably have already found the killer. As Chloe opened up the back of her squad car for Trixie to get in, she heard another young voice behind her.

“Hey, Trixie!” Chloe turned to see Bethany, one of Trixie’s classmates running up.

“Hey, Beth!” Trixie smiled.

“My birthday is next weekend and I’m having a party! Can you come? It’s on Saturday.”

Trixie looked up at her mom questioning. “Of course, you can go.” Chloe smiled and nodded.

Beth’s father came after her. “Hey, Chloe. How’s life going?”

Chloe looked at Beth’s father and couldn’t help but blush a little. “Hey Christian. I’m good. How’s the clinic going?” Christian was tall, with milk chocolate skin and dark wavy hair. He was a doctor and ran a clinic over on 3rd street, and surprisingly...single.

“It’s going. It’s a busy time of year. Don’t forget to get your flu shots.” Christian smiled, and it met his brown eyes.

Chloe just giggled and nodded. “So, we’ll see you next Saturday?”

Christian put his arm around Beth. “Yea, 2 pm. We’re getting a bouncy house.” He feigned happiness.

“That is so cool! Mommy, I want a bouncy house for my birthday!” Trixie was too excited to stand still.

“Why don’t we talk about that in 6 months closer to your birthday.” Chloe grinned at her daughter.

“Well, see ya!” Christian turned with Beth and they walked away.

Chloe could feel the heat on her face and rolled her eyes at herself. One day she’d get the nerve up to ask him out. Today was not that day, however. After the whole Candy fiasco, any momentum Chloe and Lucifer had in a romantic relationship stopped. They simply wouldn’t fit together. He was too volatile, and she had Trixie to think about. Christian was a good man, safe. And it didn’t hurt that he was cute.


	2. Chapter 2

Lucifer was sitting at the bar in his apartment, twirling whiskey in a crystal tumbler, deep in thought. He’d seen victims like this before but was struggling to accept that supernatural forces were at work. At each crime scene, Lucifer did his best not to indicate that the cause of death looked familiar to him, and thankfully, Chloe didn’t seem to notice.

“What has your panties in a twist?” Maze came waltzing through the room, leather boots clicking as she went behind the bar to pour a drink.

Lucifer waiting a moment, took a sip, and breathed heavily before answering. “Do you remember London 1889?”

Maze was quick to respond. “Yea, best Irish whiskey I’ve ever had.” She sighed like she was remembering something fond, a small grin on her face.

Lucifer shook his head. “Not that part.” He looked at her with dark eyes.

Maze stilled, and her eyes went cold. “What about it?”

“Is it possible-“

“No.”

“But-“

“No!” Maze slammed her glass down on the bar. “We put him back in his cell. We doubled security on him. There’s no way.”

Lucifer wasn’t the only angel to fall from heaven. He had never liked Mammon. Mammon didn’t believe in free will, no, he joined Lucifer’s rebellion with the sole intention of usurping God, but at the time beggars couldn’t be choosers and Lucifer had no choice but to side with him. After the fall, after the heartache of rejection, and the anger had subsided enough for Lucifer to do anything other than scream, he had locked Mammon away in a cage. Where Lucifer thrived in Hell, Mammon went insane, blaming humanity for his own decisions.

Lucifer nodded. “Three bodies. All scratched their own throats out. Tell me that doesn’t remind you of him.”

For the first time in a long time, Maze looked scared. “If it is him, we still have time to catch him before it gets as bad as 1889. We need the chains though.” Maze never took her eyes from Lucifer.

Lucifer’s heart beat a little faster. He wasn’t sure where the chains had ended up after his fall. They had faded into legend by now, the only set of handcuffs that could trap a fallen angel. There were two sets in existence that he knew of, one for each of the fallen. In 1889, he used his own set to capture Mammon. Without his wings, he couldn’t go back down to Hell to get them though. He’d have to find the second set which was rumored to be on Earth.

“I’ll start researching where it could be. See if you can hunt him down, Maze.” Lucifer got up from his seat, gulped down the rest of his whiskey, and turned to head towards his library of ancient books. He stopped and turned his head towards Maze walking towards the elevator. “And Maze…be careful.” If Mammon got ahold of Maze, she wouldn’t survive. They both knew it. They had to be as careful, if not more careful than before. Mammon was smart and learned from his mistakes, the psychopath that he was. They couldn’t trick him as they did in London.


	3. Chapter 3

The case was taking up most of the detective’s time. She had commandeered one of the conference rooms to set up space for her to spread out. There was a whiteboard that had the locations of each of the deaths, the victims’ profiles, and a giant question mark in the middle. There was no way that three people who didn’t know each other at all would all commit suicide the same way weeks apart from one another.

Lucifer was actually being helpful for once, trying to triangulate where a possible suspect could be.

“They’re all around the city, so maybe we should be looking within the range of deaths. The killer is probably located in the middle, maybe in one of these seedy parts here. Someplace dark and maybe underground.” Lucifer pointed to an area in LA.

“What would make you say that?” Chloe questioned.

“Well, …you know, based on previous serial killer cases…”He wasn’t lying of course. The same thing happened in London.

Chloe drew her brow together and tilted her head. This was by far the hardest case she’s ever been on.

“I can’t think anymore. I have to get out of this room, get some fresh perspective.” Chloe sighed. “It’s about lunchtime.” She looked at her watch. “Muchos Tacos?” She looked at Lucifer with weary eyes.

Lucifer absent-mindedly nodded and began to walk to the door.

After they had gotten their respective tacos from the restaurant, they sat down in easy silence, clearly, both lost in thought.

Chloe shook her head hard and caused Lucifer to startle a little bit. “Talk to me about anything other than this case.” She couldn’t live in her mind about it anymore.

Being Lucifer, the only thing he could come up with was sex…obviously. “How’s your love life going? Get any lately?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Chloe rolled her eyes but couldn’t really complain. She did say anything.

“No.” She sighed. “Although there is this guy. But I don’t know.” She bit her bottom lip. She wasn’t sure if Lucifer would even want to hear about her romantic endeavors.

Lucifer perked up a little. “Oh, do tell Detective!”

Chloe waved her hand dismissively, ignoring the slight disappointment in her stomach that he didn’t seem to care. “I don’t even think he’s interested. Every time I see him I kind of freeze up and blush and just make an idiot of myself.”

“You stare down murderers and rapists every day, and you can’t ask a guy out?” Lucifer asked unbelievably.

“It’s not that simple! I’m awkward and embarrassing. Besides, he’s a doctor with style and money. I’m a detective in a rented apartment with a crazy roommate and I barely make enough to get by. It just wouldn’t work.” She took a bite of her taco. Lucifer was exhibit one in this case. He had chosen Candy over her.

“I have style and money. You don’t seem to have an issue with me.” Lucifer commented.

“You’re different. You’re my partner and my friend. I’m not trying to sleep with you.” At least, not anymore.

“Yes, much to my dismay,” Lucifer grumbled.

“You’ve seemed pretty deep in thought lately too,” Chloe said between bites, trying to change the subject. “Is it just the case?”

Lucifer sighed deeply. “No.”

“Is there anything I can help with?” Chloe asked.

Lucifer thought for a moment and then his eyes lit up. “Actually! I do think you can help Detective! I’m trying to locate a rather specific artifact and I could use your amazing detecting skills to help.” Lucifer smiled widely.

Chloe looked confused for a second and then nodded with wide eyes. “Umm, yea, sure.”

“And of course, tit for tat. If you can help me with this, I’ll help you secure a date with this gentleman.” Lucifer responded.

Chloe shook her head, “No. That’s completely unnecessary. I don’t need help with that. I’ll be fine.” She dismissed away even the idea of getting Lucifer’s help.

“Nonsense Detective. If there’s anything I know, it’s how to attract the opposite sex! Or same sex, or any sex, really.” Lucifer grinned mischievously.

Chloe thought for a second. He was right, of course. If there was anyone that could help her navigate the world of romantic attraction, it was Lucifer. “Ok, deal.”

“Brilliant! Naturally, we’ll start with your problem. Based on your attire alone, it could take longer than locating Atlantis.” Lucifer did a once over on Chloe’s clothing.

Chloe rolled her eyes. Great, a deal with the Devil. She scoffed, what did she get herself into?

“Meet me on Rodeo Drive on Saturday. We’ll make a day of it.”

“Lucifer, I can’t afford anything there!” Chloe gawked. He was nuts.

“Nonsense. I’m buying. We can’t have you going around trying to snatch men up in old t-shirts and jeans.” He waved her away. “Besides, it’s only money.”

His Laissez-faire attitude was grating sometimes, and Chloe gritted her teeth. “Fine. Then I’ll come over Sunday to help you.”

“Fantastic!” Lucifer said, standing up from his chair. “Back to work, Detective?” He held out his hand for her to leave the restaurant first.

\--

The rest of the afternoon was spent looking farther into the case. For Chloe, she was getting nowhere. The toxicology reports came back all negative, there weren’t any witnesses of the events, and nothing seemed amiss.

Lucifer, however, knew more about it than he was letting on. Not divulging information wasn’t lying, he thought to himself. The last time this had happened, the press only caught onto the final 5 victims. There were dozens more before it, all starting with victims scratching at the necks until they finally bled out. He could still see the final victim in his head. She had pulled out her own intestines, scratched her legs so raw that all that remained was bone and sinew, and her face was nothing but a raw, bloody mess. It took months for the victims to progress to this stage, but Lucifer knew that unless he could locate Mammon and bring the angel back to hell the same thing would happen, and the clock was ticking.

“Lucifer?” Chloe waved her hand in front of his face. “Are you with me?”

“I’m sorry, Detective. I was…somewhere else. What was the question?”

“Do you want to come with me to speak to the third victim’s wife again? Her alibi wasn’t very strong. Maybe there’s something there?” Chloe turned and looked at the board again.

“Yes, of course.” Lucifer stood and adjusted his cufflinks.

There wasn’t anything there though. Lucifer used his powers of desire to find out what the wife was hiding, and it only turned out she was getting Botox without her husband’s knowledge. Her alibi checked out.

Chloe was driving them back to the precinct when she hit her wheel hard. “Damn, damn, damn!”

Lucifer cocked an eyebrow at her. “Alright there?”

“If we don’t find something, anything, we’re going to have to wait for another victim and hope that the murderer makes a mistake.” Chloe was frustrated. It had been exactly 1 month between each death and they were two weeks away from another one.

“I wouldn’t hope for that too much,” Lucifer responded.

“Why not?” Chloe accusingly asked.

Shit, Lucifer thought. “Well, the killer has been careful not to leave any evidence behind. It appears like all of the victims are doing this to themselves, why would anyone think it was a murderer?” Again, he hadn’t lied. It did appear that all the victims were doing this to themselves. Of course, Lucifer knew the truth. They were being possessed.  Mammon wasn’t an archangel like Lucifer, he was lesser. But he still had powers of persuasion. He could make a human do anything if he wanted it bad enough.

“I can hope and pray, can’t I?” Chloe grumbled.

“Well if you do decide praying is the right way to go, try praying to Gabriel. And let him know he still owes me 1000 Yen for that poker game in Tokyo.”

Chloe gave Lucifer a look that said, ‘You’re crazy”, “Why do I keep you around”, and “Are you serious” all at once.

He shrugged his shoulders. “Actually, it was in the 1700’s so it’s probably more like 100,000 Yen by now.”

“Yea, ok, sure Lucifer,” Chloe admitted defeat to this pointless conversation and parked the car at the station. “I’ll see you on Saturday?”

“Yes, darling. 11 am sharp! Have a good evening, Detective.” Lucifer waved goodbye as he walked to his Corvette. This would be good for him. He could help her find someone else, she would be safe, and he could focus on finding Mammon. No, that wasn’t jealously he felt, it was heartburn…from the tacos. Chloe was still close by so that must be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone is curious, there's a Muchos Tacos in Fort Myers, Florida that is to die for! If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend it.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucifer walked into his penthouse at 3 am that morning after a wonderful night of drinking and dancing with various men and women. Around 2 am he got a text from Maze that she was coming over with an update, and after bringing him back to reality, he no longer felt his normal desire for a playmate for the remainder of the evening.

He was sitting at the bar when Maze strolled in.

“It’s him.” Maze clipped, marching right to the bar for a drink.

There was a small sliver of hope in Lucifer’s mind that it wasn’t Mammon, but Maze quickly shattered that thought.

“Cemeteries?” Lucifer asked.

“Yea. A fresh grave was dug up a couple of months ago. The body’s intestines were removed, but it doesn’t sound like he ate them like he normally would. They didn’t use formaldehyde in the 1800s like they do today. He must have taken one bite and spit it out. I checked at the morgues in the area, nothing has gone missing so far. He must be surviving on animal meat right now, but I don’t think that will last much longer.” Maze had a grave look on her face.

When Michael had thrown Lucifer and Mammon into Hell, the two fallen angels had spent a few hundred years figuring out what to do. With Lucifer being the leader, so to speak, of their little rebellion, he had naturally taken up ruling over hell and punishing the damned. Mammon spent time with the monsters that lurked below. It didn’t change his demeanor that much. He was just as conniving and sinister. All hell did was tweak his brain enough to go over the edge. He blamed humanity for his problems and his suffering. He began gaining demons and monsters around him, intent on overthrowing Lucifer’s rule and starting the apocalypse. He tortured souls and demon’s alike, eating their insides, and forcing them to do things even Lucifer became nauseated over. All those stories of the end of time, the final war between heaven and hell, God versus the Devil, all those rumors were because of Mammon’s scheming. Once Lucifer caught wind of the plan, he used every ounce of his angelic grace to lock Mammon away.

Somehow, Mammon had escaped and with the help of his favorite demoness, Lucifer was able to lock the evil celestial back in a cage. If he could, Lucifer would go down to hell and find out exactly how one of the most dangerous beings in existence had managed to escape a second time, but again, without wings, he was shit out of luck. That was another wrench in their predicament, they had no way of getting Mammon back to hell after they caught him. One step at a time though.

“He’s been consistent. The first three victims were each a month apart. We’ve got two weeks until the next victim. He’s probably lurking around trying to get an idea of how humanity operates in this century, testing the waters as it were. Do you have any idea where he’s hiding?”

Maze shook her head. “I can smell him lingering around, but he must be holed up either somewhere far enough away that I can’t sense him, or deep enough underground that it hides his smell. I’ll keep working it.” She downed her drink and left.

Stuck with his own thoughts, Lucifer went back to the final fight between him and Mammon for the power to rule over hell.

“You will not overthrow me!” Lucifer had screamed from high above, lightning flashing around him.

Mammon’s cold smile and wide eyes sending chills up the devil’s spine. “I will feast on your heart when I am King of Hell and you’ll watch me do it.” Mammon’s normally soft pink lips, porcelain cheeks, and chiseled jaw were covered in crusty blood, the smell of rotting demon flesh wafting into Lucifer’s nose.

They were flying over hell’s landscape. The red sky filled with black clouds, thunder rolling around them. Mammon’s wings were a dusty, dirty, brown. His muddy brown hair was stuck to the side of his face with dirt, grime, and sweat.

Lucifer flapped his wings hard and raised himself above Mammon, flying higher. “Never.”

Lucifer called on his powers with all his might, hands shaking at his sides, sweat pouring down his face and lightning struck Mammon directly in the chest, causing the angel to spiral downward, falling for a second time. Lucifer trusted few demons in hell, but he had to believe that Mazikeen was below waiting for the psychotic angel to fall so she could trap him in the hell-forged cage made especially him.

That was the moment that Lucifer knew Mazikeen would be there for him, come hell or high water. Pun intended. She was there to lock Mammon’s cell when Lucifer was too weak to do it himself, drained from the epic battle that took place. With his throne defended and secure, Lucifer made Maze his second in command, his right hand. She served to protect him and swore a blood oath to his servitude. As punishment, he forced all the other demons who rebelled with Mammon into the same blood oath, but that didn’t mean there weren’t others who would try to do the same thing.

He had to find the handcuffs and chains. They weren’t hell forged, but heaven forged. Where Mammon could escape hell forged metal with great effort, heaven forged metal was finite. It was definite, made for trapping divinity, no matter the effort. Even though Mammon was perverse and nasty, he was still a son of God. It was really their only hope of catching him.

Lucifer swallowed hard and reevaluated his decision about a bedmate for the evening. He couldn’t be left alone to his own memories.

With a shake of the head, a gulp of whiskey, and a readjustment of his cufflinks, Lucifer walked out of the penthouse with his walls back in place and a sensual smile on his face. Surely, there was someone hanging around that he could shag.


	5. Chapter 5

Saturday morning came faster than Chloe wanted. She wasn’t quite prepared for whatever it was Lucifer had in store for her. With a latte in hand, she begrudgingly walked up to Lucifer, who was smiling wide at two passing men.

“Hello there, darling!” Lucifer chimed, much happier than she was.

“Ok, where do we start?” Chloe sipped on her triple shot.

“Well, first things first, we have to get rid of those ridiculous bras you wear. They do absolutely nothing for you. I don’t care how supportive they are.” He held his hand up to her before she could argue. “We may need an exorcist to get rid of that uni-boob, but I have high hopes at our first stop.”

“How do you-“ Chloe’s brows were furrowed, and her cheeks were turning a dark shade of crimson.

“I know my bras, Detective.” Lucifer placed his hand in the small of Chloe’s back and led her into the lingerie boutique.

“Ah! Hello ladies.” Lucifer gleamed at two women who rushed over to help. “Yes, my friend here is in desperate need of your attention.” He pushed Chloe to the two women.

“Of course, anything for you Mr. Morningstar.” One woman giggled.

Chloe rolled her eyes. He’d probably slept with both of them…at the same time. They dragged her to the back, measured her, twirled her, and shoved her into a changing room with 10 different bras before she could ever interject.

As she jerked herself out of her shirt, she thought that they could have at least bought her dinner first before feeling her up.

She found the right size and fit. The bra was lacy and pushed her breasts up and out enough that she no longer had what Lucifer called a uni-boob.

“Need any help in there, Detective? I’d gladly lend you my very dexterous hands.” Lucifer called out from behind the curtain.

“No!” Chloe yelled back. “The last thing I need is your help putting on a bra.”

“No fun.” She heard him grumble and walk away.

She looked at herself in the mirror and nodded her head. So maybe he was right. The bra wasn’t overly sexual, but gave her assets a little push, so to speak. She put her shirt back on, admired herself one last time, and walked out to find Lucifer. He was twirling what looked like a tiny red thong between his fingers as he leaned over the cashier’s counter whispering in a blonde’s ear. She was giggling and smiling, nodding along and agreeing with everything Lucifer was saying.

If she stayed around him too much longer, she was sure her eyes were going to roll right out of her head.

“Lucifer!” Chloe whispered loudly, crossing her arms, framing her newly plumped up bosom. He just couldn’t help himself, could he?

“Yes, darling? Oh, much better!” Lucifer nodded, eyes staring directly at her chest. Chloe blushed. “We’ll take 5 sets with matching underwear, in every color and she’ll be wearing that one out.”  Lucifer rubbed his hands together. “Ready for the next stop?”

Chloe didn’t even want to look at the price tag on the bra. She was feeling minorly guilty about how much money he was spending on her, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want it.

“We have to get you out of these horribly modest polyester clothes.” Lucifer scrunched his nose and took the bags from the cashier. He turned to the blonde “Do drop by Lux, I’m sure I can find someplace to throw that little red number.” The blonde all but melted into the floor.

“How do you do it?” Chloe shook her head as they walked down the sidewalk.

“I’m sorry, darling. You’ll have to be more specific. I can do lots of things.” Lucifer wiggled his eyebrows and gave her a sly grin.

Chloe let out a huff trying to hide her laugh. “How do you make people just fall for you? You walk into a room and everyone wants you.”

“Well aside from the fact that I’m literally divinely made, I’ve told you, I bring out people’s forbidden desires.”

“Oh right, because you’re Satan.” Chloe couldn’t forget about his devil thing, not that he would let her.

“It helps that I know I’m the most attractive one in the room.” Lucifer puffed his chest out a little.

“If I had a small fraction of your confidence, I could rule the world,” Chloe responded as Lucifer opened the door to a little dress shop.

“And why couldn’t you? You’re smart, fearless in the face of danger, incredibly nice despite my best efforts to bring out the naughtiness in you, and you care deeply. What’s a little confidence to add to it?” Lucifer looked her in the eyes.

Chloe made a face like she was considering what he was saying. Maybe he’s right. She took a look around the shop and found that almost every dress would barely cover her ass. “No, absolutely not. I may have needed a new bra, but I’m a mother and a detective. I can’t walk around looking like I get paid by the hour!”

“Oh come on! Just try a couple on!” Lucifer had already picked up a couple of dresses and was throwing them at her. “I’m sure Mr. Doctor would love to see you in this little number.” He held up a strapless black dress. It was stretchy to accent her every curve.

“Christian.” She took the dress from his hands.

“Muslim. Is this a new game?” Lucifer looked confused.

Chloe laughed a little. “No, that’s his name. Christian.”

“I’m starting to regret helping you,” Lucifer growled. “Anyone named after an entire religion devoted to my half-brother deserves to be single.”

Chloe guffawed at that.

He pushed her towards the changing rooms and took a seat just outside. With so many dresses to try on, he wanted a good seat.

The first dress Chloe came out in was terrible. It synched at her waist making her look wider than she was. Her shoulders were slumped, and she had a death glare on her face.

Lucifer chuckled. “Ok, ok. So not that one!”

The second dress she came out in made her look even worse and Lucifer was struggling not to laugh too loud.

“This isn’t helping Lucifer!” Chloe threw a hanger towards his head and he ducked right before it made contact.

The third dress was pretty. It was appropriate for her age, a high neckline, three-quarter sleeves and actually went to her knees. It hugged her at her hips, accentuating her curves. She nodded in approval before showing Lucifer.

Lucifer scrunched his nose at it. “Oh no! That won’t do. You look like you’re headed to a nunnery. What would Christian think? There’s no way he’d want to shag you in that!”

Chloe put her hands on her hips. “Well, I like it. I’m getting it!” She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him before going back into the changing room.

The little black dress Lucifer had picked out for her was beyond sexy. It was borderline indecent.

Lucifer’s eyes lit up as Chloe came out. “Oh, Lucifer likes! Yes, that one for sure.”

Chloe chortled at him. “Yea, and what would Christian say about this? ‘Do you charge by the hour or can I put down a deposit?’”

“Hopefully, if he’s smart, he won’t say anything, and he’ll simply rip it off of you!” Lucifer grinned.

Chloe raised her voice an octave, twirled her ponytail in her fingers, and pouted her lips “Oh Christian, you’re so smart and funny. I mean, I’ve never been with a man like you before.” Then she gave Lucifer a deadpan look filled with sarcasm.

“You joke, but if you’re wanting the fun to go all night, do exactly that!” Lucifer pointed at her.

“We’re mature adults and I’m sure he wants better than that.”

“You can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me. All men want that.” Lucifer replied.

After finding what Lucifer called a couple of outfits and Chloe called an entirely new wardrobe, they left the store. Skirts, tightly fitted pants, plunging tops, and sexy little dresses in tow, they made their way to the shoe store.

“Now this is my Heaven.” Chloe gleamed as they walked past rows and rows of boots, stilettos, flats, and trainers.

“If this were Heaven, Michael would be that woman over there with the permanent scowl on her face and Gabriel would be the little toddler running around her.” Lucifer chuckled at himself, seeing how accurate the picture really was.

When Lucifer turned to look at Chloe, she already had 4 shoe boxes piled next to her and was trying on a fifth pair.

“I love these!” Chloe showed off her foot to Lucifer, a classic red pump on her foot.

“Well, far be it from me to deny a woman her true love.” Lucifer had his hands in his pockets and stared down at Chloe, who was beaming with happiness.

She must have spent hours trying on and looking at every pair of shoes in the store. She modeled them in front of the mirrors, preened them for Lucifer to see, and lifted her legs to see them shine in the light.

A look of pure satisfaction on Lucifer’s face, he didn’t even listen to the saleswoman tell him how much the fifteen pairs of shoes cost and simply handed her his Black Card.

Laden down with bags, they were forced to make a stop at her car to drop off all of their purchases.

“Well, thanks for everything. I really appreciate it.” Chloe was making her way towards her driver’s side.

“Oh no, detective! We’re not done!”

Chloe whimpered a little. “But look at all the stuff we got, I’m sure this is plenty.”

“For clothing and shoes, yes! But you need to work on your confidence!” Lucifer grinned as he put his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth a little.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Well, you said it yourself. You want some of the confidence I have. The only way to do that is to build it up! So, you have a task, my dear.” He grabbed her keys out of Chloe’s hands and her eyes got wide. “You have to go and talk to at least ten men. Here. Right now.”

“Umm…no.” Chloe didn’t even think about it.

“Yes! You have to be able to talk to them like people, not suspects.”

Chloe was filled with fear and felt her stomach go queasy. “Absolutely not.”

“A deal’s a deal, detective!” Lucifer chimed as he made his way to the little coffee shop with outside seating. “I’ll be right here when you’re done. Now go on, chop chop.” He waved his hands at her to go.

Chloe scowled. Was he trying to kill her of embarrassment? Chloe rubbed her eyes and licked her lips.

“Mm, if you lick your lips like that all the time, you’ll have no problem talking to ten men. Now go!” He pointed away.

Chloe took a deep breath and began to walk away. She could make a run for it or she could just go sit somewhere and lie, but that would make her feel guilty.

She could do this. She was a moderately attractive woman who was smart and kind, she could talk to ten men. She was standing in front of a purse store where there was a guy browsing at the window. Ok, just take it slow, she thought, just say hi.

“Hi,” Chloe said a little too eagerly.

The man turned and looked at her with confusion.

“So…umm…come here often?” Chloe asked, grimacing at herself.

The man didn’t even respond and simply walked away. Chloe took another deep breath, her cheeks going red, and thought, well one down, only nine to go.

Guy number three asked her how much for a blowjob. Guy seven wanted to know where the hidden cameras were and if this would be on YouTube, but she actually got the numbers for guys nine and ten.

Chloe confidently walked back to where Lucifer was sitting. “I got two numbers.” She said a little giddy.

Lucifer looked up from his phone with a cocked eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“Yea! Look at me go!” Chloe smiled.

“That’s fantastic! Feeling a little better about it, now?” Lucifer asked, standing in front of her.

“Yea I am. Thanks for everything. I couldn’t have done this without you.” Chloe pulled Lucifer into a hug and she squeezed just a little longer than necessary, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her back. They pulled apart and looked in each other’s eyes, faces almost close enough for their noses to be touching.

Clearing his throat, Lucifer pulled away and put his hands back in his pockets, looking mildly uncomfortable “Well, I’d say that’s a job well done. I’ll see you tomorrow at my place, then?”

Chloe nodded and took her keys from Lucifer’s outstretched hand, “Yea, is around 1 pm ok?”

“Yes, of course.” Lucifer fidgeted with his cufflinks. “Well have a good evening, Detective.” Lucifer wasn’t sure what that sudden heart palpitation was, but he guessed it had something to do with the double espresso he had just drunk. After all, drugs affected him differently around the detective. He waved off the thought in his mind and briskly walked to his Corvette. Yes, it was definitely the espresso.


	6. Chapter 6

Lucifer had spent the last few days pulling any book or record that he’d collected over the years that could have information about where the chains and handcuffs are. His desk was covered in papers, leather-bound books, and scrolls. The small den he was in was stacked high with bookshelves, a desk sat to one side and on the other, two soft leather chairs angled towards a fireplace. The bookshelves were made of a deep mahogany, as was the desk. Crimsons and indigo blues accented the room. It was expensive and warm, a haven away from his usual clean modern living room and bedroom. This was where he came to think, to plan, or simply to remember.

After leaving the detective yesterday afternoon, he had spent the majority of his evening reading through an ancient pagan scripture searching for any clues. He was dead set on ignoring his thoughts about Chloe in that little black dress.

Deep in a Persian scroll, Lucifer only looked up when he heard a soft knock at the door. He blinked his eyes a couple of times to find Chloe standing in front of him.

“Hey,” She said with a soft smile.

“Hello, Detective. How was your evening?” He took a sip from his crystal glass filled with a honey-colored liquid. He just had to keep things as professional as possible.

“Good. Trixie and I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark. And you know, we’re not trying to solve a case right now. You can call me Chloe” She walked in and looked around the room. “What are all of these books for?”

“Well, as I said, I may need your help locating an artifact. It’s old. Older than humanity. I need to find it.”

“Why?” Chloe asked, confused. This wasn’t her normal partner. He was deep in thought and based on his behavior, seemed to age 20 years.

“Well, it’s something very important to me. I need it to…help a colleague.” Not quite a lie. He did need it to help get Mammon back to hell.

“What is it?” Chloe asked.

“It’s a set of chains and handcuffs. It’s written that they are the only known object to hold divinity captive.” Again, not a lie. It was written, somewhere. He just had to find it.

Chloe looked around in disbelief. This devil thing was going a little far, but she made a promise and she would keep it.

“Seriously? Handcuffs? We’re searching for handcuffs? Is this some sort of sex thing? Because I really can’t be a part of this if you’re just trying to do some weird role play th-“

“It’s not. I promise.” Lucifer held his hand up to stop her ranting. “It’s a bit more serious than that.”

Chloe looked into his eyes, a little concerned. “Ok, where can I start?” Chloe asked, settling into one of the soft leather chairs in the homey little room.

“Well, do you know any other languages other than English?” Lucifer asked.

“I’m pretty fluent in Spanish.”

“Perfect. I have a Spanish manuscript that could use your attention.” He picked up a book and handed it to her.

“How do I know what I’m looking for?” She took the book and set it on her lap, opening the first page.

“Well, anything that talks about falling, angels held captive, released in hell, or just weird, you let me know.” Lucifer made his way back to his desk to finish scouring through the Persian scroll.

“Ok.” Chloe shook her head a little bit and raised her eyebrows. This was new. He wasn’t making any sexual jokes, no innuendos about handcuffs, no sly grins at her from across the room. Something was wrong. Over the last few weeks, she saw a slight change in his behavior. She thought it was just that the case was affecting him the same way it was affecting her. There were three mysterious deaths and nothing to go on, a gruesome puzzle that couldn’t be solved. Now she knew, there was something more.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Chloe looked over at her partner and saw him visibly jerk like he wasn’t expecting her to pick up on it so fast. If she hadn’t worked with him so long, she might have missed it because his walls were back up within a blink of an eye.

“I’m sorry, dear. You’re going to have to be more specific. There’s quite a lot that I don’t tell you.” He put his nose back into the scroll, not reading, hoping she’d take the hint not to push it.

“Lucifer, I’ll be happy to help. Just tell me what’s going on.” Chloe pushed.

“Why? You won’t believe me anyway. It doesn’t matter how many times I tell you that I’m the devil, you still won’t get it.”

Chloe shook her head. Maybe he was making a breakthrough, she thought. Maybe this was some step from Linda to prove to Lucifer that he wasn’t the devil. She didn’t know, but she resolved herself to helping her friend.

Hours later, Chloe had finished reading the Spanish manuscript and had moved on to more recent translations of Italian myths and legends. Lucifer had a giant leather-bound monstrosity of a book in front of him that he was pouring through.

“How old is that?”

“It was written in 1437, by a group of Monks just outside of Nice,France,” Lucifer said without looking up.

“You can read French?”

“Yes, of course.”

“What other languages do you know?” Chloe asked.

“All of them.” Lucifer rubbed his eyes, thoughts swimming around in his head. He was trying to focus, but Chloe’s perfume had permeated through the air. He had to read the same paragraph four times before anything sunk in. Every so often, she had hummed or run her hand through her tousled hair, and it took all of his strength not to rip her clothes off and take her right here on this desk.

“All of them?” Chloe gawked.

“Well we do get all manner of souls down in hell, helps to be able to communicate, doesn’t it?” He bit, a little harsher than intended.

Chloe wasn’t going to touch that one with a ten-foot pole and went back to reading.

Another hour later and they were nowhere. Lucifer slammed his hands down on the desk. “Bloody hell. This is useless.”

“Maybe we’re not looking in the right spot?” Chloe offered, her blue eyes piercing.

“Well, where else could it be?” Lucifer asked, discouraged. He looked back down at the book in front of him, anywhere except those big eyes.

Chloe thought for a moment and offered “Well, you said this has to do with angels and demons, right?”

Lucifer nodded.

“Well, have you tried the Bible?” Chloe questioned.

Lucifer shook his head and then stopped mid-shake, looking up at Chloe. Obviously, he had read the damn thing a hundred times, he loved to read a good comedy. Practically everything in the book was miswritten or misinterpreted, but there were a few passages that got it right.

“You may be on to something.” Lucifer got up and made his way to bookshelf around the desk. He pulled down a black book with nothing but a cross on the side. It was old and written in Aramaic.

Chloe got up and moved beside Lucifer as he put it on the desk. He sat down to open it and she leaned over his shoulder, the smell of her thicker and tickling Lucifer’s nose. He furrowed his brow for a moment as the same thump in his chest occurred that did the day before. It must be a lack of sleep, he thought to himself and brushed the thought away.

Lucifer opened the book at the middle and Chloe scoffed. The book clearly wasn’t written in English or Spanish.

“Well, I won’t be any help with that.” She moved away from Lucifer, and he found himself suddenly missing her warm presence at his back.

“It’s written in Aramaic,” Lucifer said. “An original copy, of course.” Lucifer smiled.

“Mmhmm.” Chloe made her way back over to the leather seat. “I don’t believe you can read that. No one can. That language hasn’t been spoken in thousands of years.”

“Matthew 24:21 - For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall-“ Lucifer rattled off the first verse he could find.

“Ok, ok, ok!” Chloe conceded and giggled a little. He had probably just memorized it or something.

They fell into an easy silence. Lucifer was reading through verse after verse and it gave Chloe time to think on her partner. He was so much more than she had pegged him for. He was intelligent and wise. It was in moments like this that she saw not the hormone-driven teenager or the clueless man, but someone older, someone who knew way more than he was letting on. She saw his brows crease as his lips moved and eyes ran across the pages. She saw the weight and set in his shoulders that suggested he was under a lot of stress. She saw great contemplation on his face and a need to find answers. She wanted to go over and rub his back, tell him everything would be ok, and no matter what he was hunting, she’d be there to help. But the space in between and the history they had stopped her. Not only would the normal Lucifer, the Lucifer that demanded everyone’s attention and wreaked havoc at every turn, stop that from happening, but she couldn’t just go around dating every partner she had. The precinct wouldn’t allow it. First Dan, now Lucifer? No. That couldn’t happen. Besides, she had Christian to look forward to. Christian was normal. Stable. He was a good father, he provided for his family, he wasn’t an alcoholic that partied until dawn with women named Brittany. 

Clearing herself of those thoughts, she picked up a poetry book that looked like it had been written centuries ago. The pages were yellowed with age as she flipped through it. Everything was handwritten in script, the writings themselves a piece of art. She came across a poem that didn’t look too long and began to read.

Her Reply by Sir Walter Raleigh

If all the world and love were young,   
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,   
These pretty pleasures might me move   
To live with thee and be thy Love.   
  
But Time drives flocks from field to fold;   
When rivers rage and rocks grow cold;   
And Philomel becometh dumb;   
The rest complains of cares to come.   
  
The flowers do fade, and wanton fields   
To wayward Winter reckoning yields:   
A honey tongue, a heart of gall,   
Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.   
  
Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses,   
Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies,   
Soon break, soon wither--soon forgotten,   
In folly ripe, in reason rotten.   
  
Thy belt of straw and ivy-buds,   
Thy coral clasps and amber studs,--   
All these in me no means can move   
To come to thee and be thy Love.   
  
But could youth last, and love still breed,   
Had joys no date, nor age no need,   
Then these delights my mind might move   
To live with thee and be thy Love.

Chloe swallowed hard after finishing the poem. How could Lucifer have something so romantic, so heartfelt, so sad in his book collection? An original copy of the Kama Sutra, sure, that she would guess, but poems about love? It almost brought a tear to her eye and before she could think any more about it, Lucifer yelled.

“Aha! Yes! Here we go!” He quickly stood up and Chloe jerked out of her own thoughts.

“Jesus Christ!” Chloe startled. “Warn a girl next time.”

“I don’t think he had anything to do with this. Although I do suppose it’s his fault Luke wrote this, so maybe you’re right.” Lucifer noted, carrying the book in his hands.

“What did you find?” Chloe dismissed the comment.

“Listen to this. Luke 8:29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.” Lucifer beamed at Chloe.

Chloe stared, blinking. “Ok, but that doesn’t tell you where the chains are.”

“Yes, it does. It’s underground and in a desert. There’s only one place underground and in a desert that could have anything to do with a divine artifact.” Lucifer was looking to Chloe to fill in the gaps.

“Ok, …you’re going to have to give me a little more Lucifer. I didn’t go to Sunday school.” Chloe shook her head.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and shook his head “The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, where Jesus himself was laid to rest and then bloody came back. That’s my fault, really. He wanted to pay for humanity’s sins and ended up with me. After 3 days of his constant whining, I just couldn’t take it anymore and sent him back to earth. His holier than thou attitude was putting a downer on my demon orgies.”

Chloe closed her eyes and tried to pull the information she did need from Lucifer’s little rant. “So, the chains and handcuffs are in Jerusalem?”

“Well, at the very least, I think the next clue is there, yes. I’ll have to start making arrangements.” Lucifer put down the book and began to walk out the door.

“Arrangements for what?” Chloe asked following.

“Well to go to Jerusalem, of course!” Lucifer made his way to the bar to get a fresh drink.

“You’re going to go all the way to the Middle East?” Chloe said disbelievingly.

“Care to join?” Lucifer smiled.

“Umm…no. I don’t think the department would take to kindly to me up and leaving to hunt down some ancient shackles halfway across the world.” Chloe giggled.

“Shame. Well, thank you so much for your help detective. It was most appreciated.” He tipped his head towards Chloe.

“Anytime.” She responded.

For a second time in as many days, Chloe put her arms around Lucifer’s neck and gave him a hug. A little more prepared for it this time, he shyly smiled and returned the gesture. What an odd feeling. It was a little warm and maybe even a little scary.

“I’ll see you at the precinct tomorrow?” Chloe asked as she pulled away.

“Uh, no. I’ll be making my plans. I’ll see you as soon as I return. But!” Lucifer pulled up a finger. “You’ve held up your end of the deal, now we have to work on getting you that date. When’s the next time you see our little religiously titled friend?”

“Oh! Uhh…Trixie is going to his daughter’s birthday party next weekend.”

“Perfect! It’s the perfect time for you to ask him out. Be bold!” Lucifer smiled widely.

“Yea, ok, sure.” Chloe wasn’t quite sure where she was going to find the confidence to do that, but a deal’s a deal. “I’ll see you later.” She walked into the elevator.

After she had gone, Lucifer’s smile dropped. He had a lot to do. First things first, he had to get ahold of Maze. Then he had to make an appointment with Linda. Whatever these heart palpitations were, surely the doctor would be able to help.  


	7. Chapter 7

“So let me get this straight. There’s another fallen angel who has escaped from Hell and is terrorizing Los Angeles with the intent of overthrowing the world?” Linda asked, a little shaken.

“Yes, that’s the gist of it, I suppose.”

“And you have to find the set of chains and shackles to trap him back into his cage?”

“Yes.”

“How are you handling this?” Really, someone should be asking her how she’s handling it. There is a literal angel trying to take over the world and she’s sitting here with the Devil like it’s any other Monday.

“Well, Maze is out tracking him now. I have found a passage from the Bible that suggests the chains are in Jerusalem and we leave tomorrow.”

“Have you told Chloe?” This was a pointless question, she knew the answer, but she continued to ask it at every session. The sooner Lucifer came to realize he had true feelings for Chloe and vice versa, the better off everyone would be.

“I’ve told her…enough.”

“Do you think now is as good a time as any to show her who you really are?” Linda suggested.

“No. She’s got enough to deal with right now. She’s…dating.”

“Oh really? And how does that make you feel?” She only hoped that whoever this guy was that he was smart enough to turn and walk away from Chloe. Between Maze and Lucifer, if this guy ever did so much as accidentally bump Chloe the wrong way he’d be hanging from his toes in an undisclosed location missing a few fingers and his dignity.

“I mean…it’s her own life. She has the free will to do with it what she wants. She wants to date this man named, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, Christian. What a terribly named human.” Lucifer sighed. “But that’s not why I came today, Doctor. I’m having these terrible feelings lately like I’m about to have a heart attack which is preposterous.”

“When do these feelings happen?” Again, Linda knew the answer, but again she had to help Lucifer come up with it on his own.

“Well, I had them this past weekend. First, it happened after the Detective and I had tacos. Then it happened again on Saturday after we went shopping and I had a triple espresso. Then it happened again yesterday right before the Detective left. I just don’t know what’s happening. How ironic that the Devil gets heartburn.”

“Are you sure it’s what your eating and drinking?” For a celestial, he was quite thick.

“Well, what else would it be?”

“Do you get these sensations when you’re not around Chloe?”

“Well, no but…” Lucifer thought for a second. “You’re right, Doctor. I only get these feelings around Chloe. It must be because she makes me mortal. I’ll just stop eating and drinking around her. No need to worry then. You’re a genius! Thank you.”

Linda sighed heavily, shoulders slumped, as Lucifer left her office. She would have pushed the conversation further, but she had a couple coming in for marriage counseling. Mr. and Mrs. Duw were quite a handful. Mr. Duw wouldn’t stop tinkering with his model houses and airplanes, and Mrs. Duw didn’t see the harm in being an overbearing mother, putting a strain on their relationship. Their sessions were exhausting and between them and Lucifer, she was going to need a giant martini later.


	8. Chapter 8

Halfway around the world and three days later, Maze and Lucifer found themselves surrounded by tourists, monks, and religious fanatics of all faiths.

“They make it seem like this place is somehow special.” Lucifer scrunched his nose while eyeing the hundreds of people around him. “In reality, he was just an annoying wanker with hard on for dear old dad.”

Maze’s scowl was firmly put in place as she searched around the church. They walked down towards the tomb, marble archways encompassing the structure within, the smell of incense, sweat, and dirt hung in the air.

“What should we be looking for?” Maze asked, looking up and down, grimacing at the crucified Jesus above the doorway.

“I’m not sure, anything with maybe a symbol of capture or shackles on it?” Lucifer cocked an eyebrow and adjusted a cufflink.

As they continued to wander around the overcrowded church, a man grabbed Lucifer by the shoulders and whipped him around.

“You! Satan! You cannot be here!” The man was shorter than Lucifer by at least a head. His salt and pepper beard a little disheveling, and the black cap on his head had a gold floral pattern on it.

Lucifer stood agape as if someone would dare to touch him. “I beg your pardon; do you know who I am?”

“Yes! And you must leave this place. This is a place of heavenly light and divinity. Your evil presence will disrupt the peace!” The monk’s voice was getting louder by the syllable.

“Well, the only one here disturbing the peace my Coptic friend is you.” Lucifer sneered.

“You must leave!” The monk yelled, and heads turned to see what the fuss was about.

“Alright, alright.” Lucifer had to hold back Maze, as she was already reaching for her demon blades. He turned the demoness to leave and whispered in her ear “We’ll come back tonight when there are fewer eyes watching.”

Maze nodded.

Later that evening, in the dark of the night, Maze silently leaped from pinnacle to flying buttress, finding a window to sneak in. She kept a wary eye out for anyone that could be lurking around. Shimmying down a clerestory in her leather pants and fitted cotton shirt, she moved like the night, silent and dangerous.

Making sure the coast was clear, she opened the heavy wooden doors to the brisk night air.

“About time. I was worried.” Lucifer strolled in without a second glance.

“You’re welcome.” Maze said sarcastically. “You know you could have come with me.”

“And ruin this suit? It’s Prada for dad’s sake. Now, where to begin…”Lucifer rubbed his hands together.

“I’ll take the parameter. You can go into the tomb.”

“You won’t burn up Maze, I promise. Despite what you may think, there’s nothing angelic about this place.”

“Still gives me the creeps.” Maze glanced up to see heavy shadows cascading across the vaulted ceiling.

She tentatively moved her way around the parameter as Lucifer strolled up to the tomb, a look of disgust on his face. “You know I much prefer the modern era of design and art. All this filigree and gold is just ghastly.”

“Focus!” Maze hissed.

“Oh, all right.” Lucifer marched into the small structure and peered around, the patterns, gold, candles, and sculptures assaulting his eyes all at the same time. He looked down at the cream marble floor and saw a symbol he recognized. He grinned a little.

The symbol was an infinity sign with a double cross above it. At the time Lucifer had created the symbol, he was just trying to come up with something phallic to mess with his brothers. He had no idea it would result in the ultimate symbol of Satan. If he had, he would have patented it and made a shit load of money.

He squatted down onto his heels and ran his fingers across the symbol. “It couldn’t possibly be that easy.” With a little force, he punched into the marble with a loud smash.

When the dust cleared, he reached down into the hole and pulled out a small, grubby little package made of what appeared to be Egyptian cotton.

At the noise, Maze came running in, demon blades in hand searching for an opponent. Upon seeing Lucifer on the ground, she sneered and walked into the tomb.

“What have you found?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Lucifer unfolded the cloth and found a long iron key with three notches and a note. Lucifer translated the scripture from Arabic to English “Should he not follow my command, he shall be imprisoned and will be disgraced.” Below the note was another symbol, three-tiered rectangles with a dome on top.

“What does it mean?” Maze was frustrated.

“It means the next clue is in a mosque,” Lucifer said absentmindedly. The scripture was from the Quran and the symbol below it was of one the oldest mosques in Egypt. “Care for a little hop, skip, and a jump to Cairo?” Lucifer looked up and cocked an eyebrow.

Maze rolled her eyes and began to walk out the door. “I’m driving.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually did some research into these locations and the symbols. The symbol he finds is the Leviathan Cross. It's commonly thought of as the symbol of Satan. Additionally, the symbol for the mosque is made up. I just had to make it work within the context. Also, the quote is from the Quran. You can look it up. Things will start to happen relatively fast now that everything is set up, just FYI. There's also some smut and some gruesome stuff coming so you have been warned. Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge shout out to Fireloom who has been beta reading for me. You are amazing and I can't thank you enough for helping me with this. This is just a little fluff until shit hits the fan. So FYI, after this chapter stuff gets a little gruesome. You have been warned. Enjoy the fluff while you can.

Lucifer hadn’t been back in the office all week and Chloe was starting to miss him. His innuendos, the coffee he presented her every morning. She’d even take his devil schtick at this point. 

Tapping a pen on her desk, Chloe stared off into space. No, it wasn’t anything. She just missed her partner. He wasn’t here to work on this case with her. The case that had no leads, no information, and no evidence to go on. She took a deep sigh and shook her head roughly. 

She had to think about tomorrow, the birthday party with Trixie. Christian. She was going to ask Christian out because Lucifer gave her the confidence to do it. Lucifer, the tall, dark, handsome, surprisingly intelligent man she-No! Christian. Good, safe, homey, reliable Christian. 

Huffing, Chloe got up and left the precinct. She had better things to do than wait for Lucifer. Maybe the girls want to go out for a drink. She texted Ella and Linda, asking them to meet her at Lux in an hour. Like good Tribe members, they happily agreed. 

Two hours later, Ella was dancing with some guy named Rob, Linda was giggling about a couple named The Duw’s, and Chloe was deep in thought. 

“I mean, Christian is a good man. Right?” Chloe slurred at her flushed friend. 

“I think you should go for it!” Linda sloshed her martini around. “Take charge of your life. You deserve happiness after everything you’ve been through.” 

“Yea and Lucifer seems to be pushing it along. He’s actually being helpful. Maybe this time will be different.” Chloe tried to convince herself. She looked down at the new shoes she was wearing, reminding her of their shopping adventure. 

“Lucifer wants you to be happy. He just has a devil of a time showing it.” Linda laughed at her own joke. 

“I haven’t heard from him all week and I’m getting worried.” 

“Don’t worry about him! He has Maze. I’d be more worried about the Middle East-t.” Linda nodded her head back and forth. 

“You’re probably right. I just…I miss him, you know?” Chloe’s eyes were getting fuzzy. 

“You can’t control the feelings you have, but you can control what you do with them.” Linda put her head down on the table in front of her.

“I’m going to ask him out tomorrow.” Chloe’s mind was swirling with images of Christian and Lucifer, blending in and out. 

“Oh! You’re going to finally ask Lucifer out?” Ella came bouncing up. “You guys have been dancing around each other for months. It’s about time.” 

“No, no!” Linda lifted her head up, a napkin stuck to her cheek. “She’s going to ask Christina out.” 

Chloe frowned. “Christian. And Lucifer and I aren’t like that. We’re just friends. Very close…friends.” 

“Oh, right. Well, I’m sure he’s a great guy. Yea! You should totally go for it. Screw Lucifer.” Ella smiled. “I mean, don’t screw him, but like you know, don’t…think about him.” 

Linda fell out of her seat and Ella and Chloe stared down at their friend. “We should get her home.” Chloe slurred and downed the rest of her wine. 

They lifted their friend off the floor and, carrying her on either side, made their way out of the club. 

The next day, Chloe and Trixie drove to Christian and Beth’s house. 

“Do you think Beth will like the gift we got for her, Mommy?” Trixie asked as they pulled up to the modest two-story home in one of the nicer parts of the city. 

“Yes, Monkey. I think she’ll love it.” Chloe’s head was still a little fuzzy from the previous night. 

“Do you think Beth’s dad will like that dress your wearing?” Trixie looked up at her mom feigning innocence. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Chloe gawked as they walked up to the door. 

“I heard you talking to yourself in the bathroom this morning.” 

Chloe thought back to this morning when she was getting ready and she was practicing asking Christian out. She had chosen to go with the modest three-quarter sleeve dress, the one Lucifer didn’t like so much, but it accented her curves and brought out the green in her eyes. 

Chloe squeezed her eyes together and pinched the bridge of her nose. How to explain to a ten-year-old…

“Yes, mommy wants to ask Christian out. Are you ok with that?” 

“Yep!” Trixie smiled. “And if you get married, Beth and I would be sisters! That would be so cool!” 

“Ok, ok, but you can’t tell Beth. It’s just between us, ok?” Chloe hoped her daughter could at least do that much. 

“Promise.” Trixie nodded as she rang the doorbell. 

Beth opened the door, wearing a princess crown. “Hey, Trixie! Hi Mrs. Decker! Come on in.” 

The girls ran off down the hallway, leaving Chloe to follow the murmurs of adult voices in the kitchen. 

She followed the sounds of laughter into the kitchen and found Christian. Her heart dropped. He was surrounded by all of the single moms from school. And to Chloe’s great horror, Sarah was there. Sarah was the PTA president. Tall, highlighted blonde hair, and perfectly sculpted breasts no doubt from a few trips under the knife. She was the queen bitch of all the single moms. Chloe felt inferior to her, especially considering Sarah was standing there in all her glory wearing a low-cut top that accentuated her cleavage and skin-tight jeans on her long, toned legs.  

“Well, if you’re ever interested in expanding your clinic please let me know.” Sarah smiled sickeningly sweet at Christian while touching his bicep. Sarah ran her own marketing company in the area. Not only was she insanely hot, but she was a ruthless business owner. 

“Sure,” Christian said with a slight smile, that could have been mistaken for a grimace as he turned and looked at Chloe. “Chloe! You made it.” A look of relief sprung to his face. Sarah curled her lips in her direction. 

“Hey Christian. How are you?” Chloe smiled. 

“Good, good. Wow! You look great.” Christian looked her up and down. 

“Oh, thanks. Yea finally shed my detective clothes.” 

A moment of awkward silence fell between them before they both spoke at once. 

“How’s the clinic-“ 

“What’s new at the LAP-“ 

They giggled. 

“Work is good. The clinic is doing really well.” 

“That’s good. Good.” Chloe nodded. 

“How’s the LAPD?” 

“Umm…working a pretty difficult case right now, but I have faith we’ll find the culprit soon. How’s Beth doing in school?” 

“She’s doing ok. She could use a little help in math, but all her other subjects are going well.” 

Another awkward silence fell over them. Why was this so hard for Chloe? She talked to people all day long, asked them questions about their deepest darkest secrets. Why couldn’t she talk to Christian? Taking a deep breath, Chloe went in for the kill. 

“So, I was wondering…umm…if you’re not busy, maybe we could go out to dinner sometime?” Chloe looked down at her strappy sandals and peered up through her eyelashes. 

Christian’s face lit up. “Yea, I’d like that. Are you free next weekend?” 

“I have Trixie on Friday, but I’m open on Saturday.” Chloe felt relief wash over her. 

“Perfect, I’ll pick you up at 7?” 

“Great!” Chloe smiled genuinely for the first time that day. She could see Sarah behind Christian, sneering. That’s right, Chloe got the guy. 

Her head held a little higher, Chloe had a decent time at the birthday party, except for the side eye Sarah continued to give her which she stubbornly ignored. Chloe mingled and talked with all of the parents. On their way home, Trixie was high on sugar and practically vibrating in her seat. 

“Mommy, I want a bouncy castle for my next birthday. Can we have a piñata too? Did you see how happy Beth was with the gift we got her? Do you think Maze will like the piece of chocolate cake we’re bringing home for her? If she doesn’t, can I have it? Can we watch a movie when we get home?” Trixie barely took a breath between each question. 

“When we get home, you’re going to take ten laps around the house. That’s what you’re going to do.” Chloe laughed. Christian had said yes to a date. Internally, she squealed a little. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is smut in this chapter! You have been warned.

“You know, I think you started another war back there, Maze,” Lucifer stated walking into their hotel room in Cairo. 

“More fun for me then. Besides, what do you care? It’s not my fault that guy looked at me wrong.” Maze plopped down on the sofa in the living room.

“I’m not worried about you, Mazie. I’m worried about Egypt.” 

“The last time I started a war in the middle east, everything turned out for the better.” Maze smiled. 

“Tell that to Troy.” 

“Anyway! So, where’s the next clue?” Maze asked. 

“At The Mosque of Ibn Tulun.” Lucifer pulled out the key from Jerusalem. “The symbols here,” He pointed at the rectangles and domes, “they’re the original logos, if you will, of the mosque. I’m not sure about the key, however.” 

“Why is it at a mosque? I mean…the first clue came from the Bible. Now, it’s Muslim? This doesn’t make sense.” 

“My guess is this was done by a multitude of religions. No one religion should have claim to divinity, so in a lucid moment of religious peace, they all got together and helped to hide the shackles. Doesn’t happen all too often, does it?” 

“Humans not killing each other over the right to hold divinity for their own religious agenda? Downright unheard of.” 

“Odd, isn’t it?”

“Well, it’s too early to sneak around. Might as well use the time more wisely.” Maze looked at Lucifer with hooded eyes. 

Lucifer couldn’t agree more. Ever since he saw Chloe in that little black dress, he’d had a constant hard-on. He could use a good fuck and Maze could provide. They had been together for centuries and if anyone knew exactly how to relieve the Devil’s…predicament, it was Maze. 

“In the shower then.” Lucifer started to walk towards the bathroom, unbuttoning his dress shirt. “I have to get some of this terrible desert dust out of my hair.” 

“Such a prissy little thing.” Maze cocked an eyebrow and followed him, unzipping her various leather accouterments along the way. 

They didn’t kiss. Kissing didn’t turn either of them on, too messy, too close, and while they shared a bond that would last for all of eternity, neither of them felt that way about the other. Biting, however, biting and scratching, spanking and choking, that was more to their liking. 

Lucifer stepped under the scalding water in the large shower, letting the dirt wash away down the drain. Maze stepped in behind him, grasping his hips with her hands. Biting his upper shoulder enough that a mortal would bleed, Lucifer hissed in response, feeling the blood rush to his pelvis. Maze squeezed his hips hard and pressed her chest to his back. 

Lucifer grabbed Maze’s hand and yanked her in front of him forcefully. She slammed against the wall underneath the shower head, chest first, the cold tiles tingling against her nipples. Lucifer pressed Maze against the tile harder with each hand on the sides of her head trapping her in. He rubbed his cock against her ass cheeks and bit down on her neck, hard. He could feel the desire building up in him, the electricity deep in his core. Maze moaned at the feeling of his tongue in between his teeth sucking at her skin. Lucifer rolled his eyes back into his head and bit down harder. Maze let out a wail that touched the edges between true pain and pleasure. Lucifer had one thought in his head. Chloe. He’d love to hear Chloe scream like that, feel her tremble beneath his own body, vibrating with lust. His eyes still closed, Lucifer grabbed Maze’s hips and yanked her back into him, forcing her to bend down. Her body wasn’t quite ready for Lucifer’s girth so when he thrust into her, she let out another hiss. 

Lucifer bent down over Maze and whispered into her ear, “Scream for me.” His eyes burst open and flashed red, his glamour faded and all that was left was the Devil pounding into his demon. He surged his frustrations, his superhuman strength, the stress of their mission, and the overwhelming craving for a woman he couldn’t have into his deep assault of Maze. He smacked her ass, violently. She let out another howl. Keeping a firm grip on her hip with one hand, he scratched down her back with the other causing little trickles of blood to wash down her skin and mix with the steaming stream of water still splashing them. Maze arched her back in response, giving Lucifer better access to her breasts. He reached around and squeezed, leaving nail prints around her chest. He pinched at her nipple, sending jolts of pleasure down to her core. 

Lucifer crashed into Maze, over and over. Her moans and howls filling his ears. He clenched his eyes shut and imagined soft, porcelain skin beneath him and blonde hair between his fingers. With two final shoves, Lucifer felt Maze’s walls clench as she orgasmed and with that, he let out a low growl and came himself. Freezing for only a moment to catch his breath and let the remnants of his orgasm wash over him, Lucifer pulled out of Maze. 

She turned to look at him panting, with warning eyes. “Not that I don’t appreciate it, but that was rough. Even for you.” Maze put her head under the shower and hissed, touching her back she felt thick blood on her fingertips. Cocking her eyebrow at him, she moved around and exited the shower. 

Lucifer took a deep sigh and leaned his head against the glass door. It was his own fault. He couldn’t stop thinking about Chloe and that frustrated him, caused him to take it out on Maze. He hated to admit it, but he missed Chloe. He missed her smile, her laugh, the smell of her perfume. Hell, he’d even take one of her infamous eyerolls at this point. 

Shaking his head, he washed off his body and exited the shower. He had other things to think about than that mortal. He had to think about Mammon and what that bastard was going to do to the world if Lucifer didn’t stop him. 

That evening, Lucifer and Maze set out to the mosque. In the dark of the night, surrounded by shadows and silence, they crept into the sanctuary. A large courtyard laid before them, basked in the glowing moonlight, the sky above a clear deep blue. The night air was chilly, the temperatures dropping from the normal daytime heat. 

Sauntering across the dusty brick, Lucifer opened a locked door into the main prayer niche. Marble walls and columns framed a small alcove, bordered in gold and fresco paint that crumbled away to leave a faded wall of art. 

“Go check the other niches,” Lucifer whispered to Maze. She nodded and noiselessly stepped around the columns. 

Lucifer looked up and down at the main prayer site, finding no evidence of anything amiss. He closed his eyes and let himself feel with his diminished grace. If he still had his wings, he would be able to detect more, but now he could only feel a dull throb of divinity inside him. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary, Lucifer opened his eyes and peered out into the courtyard again. Maybe he had gotten it wrong. 

“Lucifer,” Maze let out a whisper from across the building. A normal human wouldn’t have heard her, but he made his way over to a tribune raised on columns. This is where the Quran is recited, and prayers are intoned. It was flanked by two more prayer niches. 

The prayer niche on the left looked like many others Lucifer had seen. The stone was weathered, and aged, ornate designs carved into the granite. Maze was standing in front of the right one. Much different than its counterpart, this wall was almost bare. A circular pattern around the border, a carving of a chain and pendant laid in the center, and a variation of the pentagram within the pendant. A few thousand years ago, the pentagram meant nothing to him personally. It was an image created by pagans in Europe. It wasn’t until Christianity deemed it a sign of the devil, that it became associated with him. But for a Muslim mosque to have an emblem that didn’t belong to them on their sacred ground, it had to be important and it had to be the next step in finding the chains. 

Lucifer looked around and sighed. “Why do they always have to put things behind stone. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t enjoy defiling places of worship. This is a piece of history, you know.” 

“Oh, shut up and just do it.” Maze took one last glance around to make sure no one was there. 

With one solid punch, Lucifer disintegrated the wall. When the dust settled, and no one came running to follow the noise, Lucifer reached into the dark hole. He pulled out a small cherry wood box, a Celtic motif etched on the top, a lock set on the side. 

“We’ll have to wait until we get back to the hotel to open it. But my guess is we’re headed to Britain, maybe Ireland?” Lucifer blew off any remaining dirt from the box. It was small and fit in the palm of his hand. 

“Great,” Maze said flat toned. “Let’s get out of here first.” 

Nodding, Lucifer followed behind the demoness as they made their way back to the hotel.

Back in the hotel living room, after changing out of their dirt covered clothes and into fresh attire, Lucifer sat at the sofa with the box in this hand, a look of confusion on his face. 

Maze walked in and stared at him. “Why don’t you use the key?” 

“Yes, I will. But what’s most interesting is that I can’t open it on my own. No lock has ever been unopenable to me. There must be some sort of magic or divinity holding it shut. I can’t feel it though.” 

Maze plopped down next to Lucifer and took the box from his hand, sniffing it. “Well if it is from heaven, it’s really well hidden. I can’t smell it.” She threw the box back to him.

Shrugging his shoulders, accepting that there are some mysteries even he can’t solve, Lucifer put the key in the lock. With a click, the top opened. 

Inside was a small piece of paper and Maze groaned. “You know if we don’t start getting somewhere, Mammon is going to start the apocalypse and then what will you do? Your precious humans will all be dead, and we’ll still be hunting for these damn handcuffs.” She threw her head back on the couch and talked to ceiling, huffing.

“Patience Maze. We still have a little bit of time.” Lucifer pulled out the paper and unfolded it carefully. It was old and protested being disturbed by cracking at some of the folds. 

Lucifer laid the sheet on the coffee table in front of him and gently smoothed it out.

“Hmm…” He mused. It was very confusing. He hadn’t seen anything like this before. Drawn in charcoal, there was a large circle and within it were rounded dashes and dots. There was no pattern that Lucifer could see and one of the dashes towards the center of the circle was drawn in what appeared to be blood, the rusted sienna color stained the paper. 

“Hmm? Hmm...good? Hmm…bad? What Hmm?” Maze crossed her arms and looked at Lucifer. 

“I don’t know. This doesn’t look familiar to me.” Lucifer pulled out his phone and took a picture of the drawing. Then he carefully folded the original back up and placed it back in its box. 

“So bad. That was a bad Hmm.” Maze got up and started to pace. 

Lucifer stared at the picture on his phone, trying to remember anything from his past that would help him. “I think we need to get help.” 

“Yea? Who’s going to help us?” Maze was still pacing. 

Lucifer didn’t say anything and just looked at Maze. 

She whined. “Do we have to?” 

“He may know something!” Lucifer responded. 

She growled. “Fine, but can we do it back home? If you don’t know anything, the least you could allow is that I drink when he shows up.” 

“Deal.” Lucifer got up and made his way to his bedroom to pack. “We’ll hop on the next flight.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, I've started to pick and choose what I want to take from the series. Amenadiel still has his wings, but it's after Candy. Also, the Dikka is a spot inside of The Mosque of Ibn Tulun and I did some research on the prayer niches.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is gruesome and horrific. Please read at your own risk! Also, another shout out to my awesome beta reader, Fireloom! You're awesome and fantastic and I couldn't do this without you :)

Monday morning came too quickly for Chloe’s liking. She still hadn’t heard from Lucifer and worse, there were still no leads on the case. She was begrudgingly filling out the forms to transfer it over to the FBI when a to-go coffee cup appeared in her vision. She looked up and there he was. Dressed in his classic black suit, a crooked grin on his face, and perfectly coiffed hair, Lucifer set down the coffee in front of her. 

Without thinking, she leaped out of her seat, ran around her desk, and threw her arms around his neck, jumping into him. 

“You’re back! I’ve missed you.” Chloe smiled and let out a sigh of relief. 

With an oomph of surprise, Lucifer awkwardly returned the embrace. “It’s good to see you too, Detective.” 

Reality came crashing back to Chloe and she quickly planted her feet firmly back on the ground and released his neck. She choked out a laugh and smiled at him “So, did you find what you were looking for?” 

“Uhm…no.” Lucifer coughed. “Hit a bit of a snag, but not to worry. I’ll figure it out.” 

“Well, let me know if you need any more help researching or anything.” Chloe beamed. 

“Thank you, Detective. So, anything new on the case front?” Lucifer put his hands in his pockets. 

Picking up her coffee and sighing, Chloe walked back around to her seat. “Unfortunately, no. I was just filling out the paperwork to transfer it over to the FBI. We just don’t have anything.” 

Just as Chloe was settling into her seat, Dan walked up. “Hey, Lucifer. Where have you been?” 

“Why? Did you miss me, Douche?” Lucifer raised an eyebrow, drinking from his own cup. 

Dan rolled his eyes and turned to Chloe. “Got another murder.” Dan’s voice softened. “It…it looks like our guy. He’s…started to escalate.” Dan looked uncomfortable. 

“What is it, Dan?” Chloe could see the fear written on Dan’s face. 

“I just got the call. The woman who found the body is hysterical. She was sent to the hospital in shock. Here’s the address.” Dan shoved the file at Chloe, almost as if the papers themselves were gruesome and he had to get rid of them. 

Chloe eyed Dan as he walked away. It took a lot to spook a seasoned detective, Chloe could feel nausea in her stomach building. 

Chloe turned to Lucifer, “Ready?” 

Even Lucifer looked a little uneasy. “As I’ll ever be.” 

The apartment building was blocked off by police cruisers, ambulance, and forensic vans. Stepping under the caution tape, Chloe walked up to the nearest cop with Lucifer trailing behind. 

“What have we got?” Chloe asked. 

The cop was pale, and his hand was shaking as he was writing notes on his pad of paper. “You should really just go see for yourself.” 

Chloe looked back at Lucifer, who was surprisingly silent. He gave her a warning look as if to ask if she was sure she wanted to go through with this. Chloe nodded and made her way to the apartment building door. 

Letting a forensic scientist out of the apartment first, Chloe held the door open. The smell of vomit hitting her nostrils. She scrunched her nose and walked inside. Someone had gotten sick just beside the stairs leading up to their crime scene. 

When she finally entered the apartment, the mood itself left her cold and a shiver ran up her spine. None of the forensic team were looking at each other, their eyes were all wide and their shoulders tense. Fear. This was what fear looked like. They all seemed to be hyper-focused on their tasks, like dusting for prints or searching through drawers. Anything to avoid the reason they were all here. 

Chloe carefully walked to the only bedroom and glanced inside. Bile ran up her throat as she slapped her hand over her mouth. She turned away from the scene only to slam face-first into a broad, muscled chest. 

Lucifer put his hand on Chloe’s head and whispered softly. “Shh, it’ll be ok.” He rubbed her back with his other hand and waited. No one in the apartment said a word about the embrace, for they had seen what lay just beyond the doorway. If anything, they were jealous they didn’t have someone to hug them. 

Chloe took three deep breaths and swallowed hard, releasing herself from Lucifer for the second time that day, her body protested. She didn’t want to turn around and see what was in the bedroom. She wanted to stay blissfully unaware in Lucifer’s strong arms. It was safe there. There weren’t any horrors waiting for her in those arms. He could shield her from all of it. But that wasn’t her job. Her job was to look at these scenes. Her job was to find out who did it. She couldn’t turn her back on it now. With a glance up to Lucifer one last time, Chloe turned and entered the room. 

The body, or what was left of it, was laying on a bed. Unable to identify if it was male or female, it was too covered in thick, congealed blood, any remnants of clothing ripped apart in shreds. The victim’s hair was pulled out in clumps, leaving raw skin around their skull. They had scratched at their legs so hard that muscle fibers were frayed and ragged. A giant gash in their stomach revealed intestines yanked out in fistfuls like knotted yarn, the victim still had their hands plunged deep inside. Blood sprayed the walls and the ceiling, the room reeked of feces and rotting flesh. Of all of that, the most disturbing part was the face. There were scratches so deep that the skin was falling off like wilting petals from a flower, leaving teeth and cheekbones visible from the outside. From the entryway, Chloe could see that the victim was smiling. It was smiling like they had a dark and sinister secret they couldn’t tell anyone, smiling like they were proud of what they’d done and the one eye that wasn’t hanging from its socket was devoid of all emotion. The blank stare of a psychopath happy that it killed small animals as a child for practice. The stare of a murderer. 

Chloe shook her head at the scene. It didn’t make any sense. Was it a drug that was unidentifiable on a toxicology screen? Was the killer so good at hiding themselves, they made it seem like a suicide? Her mind was whirling at the possibilities. 

Ella was taking pictures of the body from every angle; the flash highlighting parts Chloe didn’t want to see. In all of the time they had worked together, Ella always came up and gave Lucifer a hug, no matter what the crime scene looked like. Not today. Today, she was cold, and her face was stone. Ella was just going through the motions, doing everything as quickly as possible. The sooner they finished, the sooner they could all go home and take boiling hot showers in an attempt to scrub off the evil. Because that’s what this was. Evil. Her scale of evil had shifted. Chloe would now forever remember this moment scorched in her brain as the most heinous thing she’d ever seen.

Lucifer didn’t say a word. He stared down at the innocent victim hoping that their soul was at peace in heaven. They went through hours of torturing themselves, feeling the pain but unable to stop it. His eyes flashed red for a moment in anger. Luckily, no one was paying attention to him to see it. Mammon was escalating. 

Ella pointed to the victim’s stomach. “It looks like the intestines were severed.” Taking a closer look without touching the body. “It’s not a clean cut, the edges looked gnawed at.” Ella furrowed her brow and looked at Chloe. 

Chloe could taste fresh bile in her throat and swallowed hard before speaking. “Are you saying that they look…eaten?”

Ella grimaced and nodded. “When we get her back to the lab, we’ll do a full work up to see if there’s anything else missing. Maybe it’s a stray cougar or something.” Everyone knew that this wasn’t an animal attack but thinking that a human could do this was almost as unbelievable.  

“Her?” Chloe asked. 

Ella nodded again and the look on her face suggested she had just aged 10 years. “Her hips are too wide to be a man’s and looking a little closer underneath the carnage, you can see the small swell of breasts.” Ella pointed underneath the organs on the victim. 

Not taking a step closer, Chloe nodded. “I believe you.” She turned to Lucifer who was still staring at the body. “Hey, are you ok?” Chloe wasn’t sure why she was asking him this, considering she wasn’t ok at all. 

Lucifer turned frigid eyes to her that almost made her back away from him before he righted himself. “Yes, Detective. I just hope we find this monster soon.” 

Chloe couldn’t argue with that, but she’d have to keep a keen eye on him. If this scene came back with any suspects, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to control him from unleashing his wrath.  

She turned back to Ella. “Thanks for everything, Ella. Let us know what you find out.” The only sign that Ella had heard what Chloe had said was a curt dip of her head. 

Chloe turned her back to the body and looked around the room. Catching her gaze, a long feather with blood on its vane was stuck to the wood floor by the door. 

“Hey Ella, look at this.” Chloe reached into her pocket and took out a latex glove. Ella jumped at the chance to look at anything other than the body in front of her. The two women crouched down in front of the piece of evidence. Ella snapped a few photos and Chloe waited for the acknowledgment that she could pick it up. Lucifer peered over the two women with curiosity in what they found. 

The feather was a muddy brown color and at least a foot long. Chloe held it in her gloved fingers and twirled it around to get a better look at it. 

“What kind of animal do you think this is from?” Chloe asked. 

Lucifer took a deep sigh. “A large one. That’s a secondary covert feather. It took a great deal of effort to rip that from its owner.” Lucifer looked back at the victim, a little bit of pride in the mortal that she could manage to rip out an angel feather. 

“How do you know that?” Chloe looked at Lucifer with disbelief. 

Lucifer thought for a moment and answered. “You remember, I did have a pair of wings at one point, Detective.” 

_ Oh yea _ , Chloe thought. Those wings they went on the hunt for that he claimed were his angel wings. Even in the worst of times, Lucifer stuck to his story. 

“I’ll get this to the lab and see if we can match it to something.” Ella smiled sadly. “We may finally have a lead.” 

Chloe agreed, “Yea, and we need it.” Standing up, Chloe placed the feather into an evidence bag Ella had ready. 

Lucifer didn’t correct them. He knew that they wouldn’t be able to match the feather to anything. He didn’t want to lead them towards Mammon. Their safety was more important. 

“Thanks again, Ella.” Chloe walked out the door and motioned for Lucifer to follow. 

Out in the clean air of day again, Chloe took a deep breath,  trying to cleanse herself from the hideous sights inside. 

“Are you alright?” Lucifer asked, touching her arm. 

“Yea…no.” Chloe shook her head and closed her eyes. That was a mistake of course because when she closed her eyes, all she could see was that evil grin on the victim’s face. “It doesn’t make sense. None of it does. It all looks self-inflicted, but who would do this to themselves?” She turned and asked Lucifer. 

“No one. This was done by someone, someone evil, someone who’s broken and void of all sense.” Lucifer looked towards the sky. He wanted to blame his father for this, but this one was on him. This was his mess and he had to clean it up. If he had been in Hell watching over the gates, this wouldn’t have happened. Guilt washed over him. For Chloe’s safety alone, Lucifer would risk it all. If he didn’t get a lead on Mammon soon, not only was Chloe in danger but so was the rest of humanity.

“Give me just one moment, Detective. I have to make a call.” Lucifer said as Chloe got in the car. He turned his back to the cruiser and raised his hands in prayer, looking up towards the sky. A gust of wind brushed past him to his left and he turned looking at his brother. 

“Hello, Amenadiel.” Lucifer put his hands back into his pockets and peered in at the detective, frozen in time.

“What did you call me for brother? Another bullet to stop?” Amenadiel asked incredulously. 

“No. We have bigger problems than stray bullets, I’m afraid.” Lucifer’s gaze was serious. 

Realization in his eyes, Amenadiel was concerned. “What have you done?” 

“It’s not me! Why do you always assume it’s something I did?” 

“Because it always is.” 

“No.” Lucifer took a deep sigh. “Mammon got out again.” 

Amenadiel had his arms crossed over his chest and looked at Lucifer with concern. “What?” 

“Didn’t you hear me? Mammon got out again and he’s wreaking havoc across LA. I just came from one of his…victims. She was sprawled out on the bed, she-“ Lucifer was waving his hands around, beginning to panic. 

Amenadiel raised his hand for Lucifer to stop. “I remember last time. I don’t need a recap. What are you doing about it?” 

“Maze and I are searching for the shackles and chains to hold him, but we’ve hit a bit of a snag. We can’t figure out the latest hint. And to top it off, Mammon managed to leave a feather at the scene. If it gets back to the lab-“

“Say no more. I’ll take care of the feather. Humanity cannot have proof of the divine.” 

“Yes, yes. I know. That’s why I called you.” 

“Do you need help with the search?” 

“No, no. I’ll take care of it. I’ll call you if I need help.” Lucifer waved after his brother. Without a goodbye, Lucifer felt another gust of wind and opened the car door. 

“I thought you said you had to make a call?” Chloe asked. 

“I’m sorry Detective, but I am in no mood to explain to you how praying to my brother and stopping time works.” He huffed. 

“Jeez. Ok, don’t tell me.” Chloe felt a surge of anger and started the car. “You know, you could have been more helpful back there, looking for evidence, or giving any kind of insight.” 

“I beg your pardon.” Lucifer gave her a shocked look as she sped down the road. “I was more than helpful. I told you what kind of feather it was and in case your little mortal head has forgotten, I think I was more than obliging when you needed a moment to calm yourself.” 

Chloe’s anger went as fast as it came. She had seen this happen before with other partners. The crime scene was too much to take in, so they took it out on each other. “You’re right. I’m sorry. That scene was just-“

Lucifer’s anger faded away too. It wasn’t Chloe’s fault that a rogue fallen angel had taken up residence in the area. And it certainly wasn’t her fault that he was having trouble handling it. Linda would be so proud. “I need a drink.” 

“I think that sounds like a great idea.” Chloe cracked her neck and rubbed at her shoulders. “I need a shower first.” Without any innuendo from Lucifer, Chloe realized that this case was just as hard on her silent partner. “I’ll drop you off and stop by the bar in a bit? Give me an hour?” 

“You’re always welcome, Detective.” Lucifer was staring out the window, watching the city pass them by. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, that last chapter was a lot. Breathe for a minute with this chapter.

Chloe dropped Lucifer off with a wave and a promise to be back in a bit. 

Lost in thought, he walked his way into the penthouse without looking up. 

“So, what have you found?” Amenadiel asked in a deep throaty voice. 

“Bloody hell!” Lucifer jumped. “I told you I’d call you if I need help, brother!” Lucifer walked behind the bar and found a preferred scotch. 

“This is serious, Luci. We have to find those shackles. And we have to find Mammon before he can cause any more damage.” 

“I’m well aware, Amenadiel. Maze is out looking for Mammon now. I’m sure she’ll be back soon with an update.” Lucifer took a sip from his glass and heard the elevator door ding. “Speak of the Devil.” 

In walked Maze, clad in her normal black leather attire. She stopped at the sight of Amenadiel, pursing her lips. “What the hell is he doing here?” 

“We need all the assistance we can get, Mazie.” Lucifer used his term of endearment toward her, in an attempt to calm the demoness’s wrath. 

“Fine. But when this is all done, if I see you again, I’ll rip your wings off.” Maze raised a demon blade towards Amenadiel. 

“I’d like to see you try, little demon,” Amenadiel responded, taking a sip from his own glass that Lucifer had pushed across the bar. 

“Don’t call me that!” Maze moved towards Amenadiel, but before she could get a punch in Lucifer was there to hold her off. 

“Can you two play nice? I don’t know what little lover’s spat you’re in, but we’ve got bigger problems.” Lucifer pushed Maze away lightly. 

Maze glared daggers at Amenadiel. If looks could kill, thought Lucifer.

“Right. Now, I took the liberty of printing off pictures of the last clue we found. I didn’t want to touch the original too much. We have to figure out what it means.” Lucifer walked over to his coffee table and picked up the pictures. He handed one to Amenadiel and one to Maze. 

Amenadiel studied it, turned it in his hands, looked at it far away and up close. He tried viewing it from different angles, taking it all in. Maze took one glance at it, rolled her eyes, and sauntered behind the bar. 

“It doesn’t mean anything to me..” Maze commented as she poured herself a double. 

“It’s very odd,” Amenadiel remarked. “Where was it? How did you find it?” 

Lucifer relayed their recent adventure to Amenadiel, from Jerusalem to Egypt, even telling him about Maze’s little tiff. 

“You remember what happened to Spain? And that was all because some poor peasant accidentally knocked over her ale.” Amenadiel gave Lucifer wide eyes. Lucifer smirked. Maze’s reputation did proceed her. 

“Yes, yes. Not to worry. After all, she didn’t take this one’s arms.” Lucifer grinned. “But back to it, do you know what this could be?” Lucifer pointed at the picture in Amenadiel’s hands. 

“Hmm no. I have never seen something like this before. I’ll take it back to Raziel, maybe she’ll know.” 

“Of course she’ll know, she’s the angel of knowledge.” Lucifer huffed. “Except she’ll give you the answer in some cryptic poem or an even more confusing symbol.” 

Amenadiel nodded in agreement. Their sister knew everything written and was, for lack of a better term, the librarian of heaven. If anyone knew anything, it was her. But with great knowledge, comes great boredom. Raziel would create puzzles with her answers, vexing even the smartest of angels. 

Amenadiel stood up, downed his drink, and looked at his brother. “Can I take this with me?” He motioned to the picture. 

“Do your worst.” Lucifer waved his glass and took a large gulp. With that, the angel was gone in a flurry of charcoal feathers. 

“Well, that was helpful.” Maze said sarcastically from the bar. 

Lucifer grumbled in agreement. He hoped that Amenadiel would prove to be a better asset than liability in this issue... Lucifer downed his drink and poured another. 

“Go get the club ready for tonight, Maze. We aren’t going to solve this now.” 

Maze glared at Lucifer, stood, and made her way to the elevator. “Will you be joining tonight?” 

“I don’t know if I’m in the mood,” Lucifer answered honestly. Between the feelings growing in him about Chloe and the stress of finding Mammon, Lucifer didn’t much feel like sparing with a bed-partner. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the angst! Oh the torment! Our adorable idiots!

After a long, hot shower and scrubbing her body twice with a loofa, Chloe tried to put the day behind her. She couldn’t close her eyes for longer than a blink without seeing the mangled body lying in front of her. 

Chloe pondered her closet. She wanted to wear something nice.  Maybe one of the dresses Lucifer bought her, but her need for comfort ruled. She slipped on a pair of skinny jeans and a big cotton sweater, trying to stave off some of the chills that had sunk into her bones. At the very least, she slipped on a pair of new boots. Trixie was with Dan tonight and she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Good because it gave her the opportunity to see Lucifer. Bad because when she got home, she’d be alone with nothing but her thoughts. 

That was a problem for later. Right now, she was going to go to Lux to have a well-earnt drink. 

After driving to the club in record time, Chloe walked past the hoards of people lining up to get in. With one look at her, the bouncer unhooked the velvet rope to let her pass. People behind her groaned in protest. A small smile came across her lips. It was the little things in life. Even if it was just a club and even if it was just Lucifer. 

Chloe entered and looked around. It was already filling up and the beat of the music vibrated through her body. 

“He’s upstairs.” Maze said over the loud base. 

Chloe looked to Maze and smiled. “Thanks.”

“Yea.” Maze handed her a glass of red wine and turned away to the other patrons. 

Chloe called the elevator and the doors opened immediately. On the ride up, she sipped her glass of wine. When the doors opened to the penthouse, she heard a soft piano melody playing. Smiling, she made her way to Lucifer. 

“Hey,” she said, placing her hand on his back. 

Lucifer looked up from his ministrations. “Hello, Detective.” 

“How many times do I have to tell you, call me Chloe when we’re alone.” 

“All right.” Lucifer took a sip of his drink and Chloe sat hers on top of the grand. 

“What are you playing?” 

“Oh, nothing special. Any requests?” Lucifer glanced down at her when she sat down next to him. It brought back memories Lucifer would rather not remember. Like, Father Frank. It seemed that when it came to Chloe, he was going to have to take the dark with the light. Here they were trying to forget their troubles and he was assaulted with bad memories. Yet, all that flittered away when he caught a whiff of her shampoo.

“Anything. You always play so beautifully.” Chloe’s smile reached her eyes. They sparkled like jade. 

Lucifer looked down at his hands on the piano and thought for a moment before starting a new song. The soft piano played solo for a moment before he added the lyrics. 

_ “Up on this hill, in this uncanny house, _

_ The wind makes this place creak, the lights they are flickering, _

_ The moon she is lurking, the clock it stopped working, _

_ At a quarter past three, _

_ There’s something dancing here in the shadows, _

_ And I wish it were us, _

_ You haunt me baby, you haunt me here tonight, _

_ You haunt me baby, you haunt me here tonight.”  _

Lucifer let the melody play for a while, his long fingers dancing over the keys. Chloe drank her wine and listened intently. 

_ “Can’t get your memory, off of my mind, _

_ Just want your heartbeat on top of mine, _

_ There’s something dancing, here in the shadows, _

_ And I wish it were us.”  _

Lucifer left the chorus to the piano and then, with a final chord, he finished the song. He glanced down at his hands for a moment before righting himself and draining the rest of his drink. 

“That was beautiful.” Chloe mused as Lucifer stood and went to the bar to refill his glass. 

“Yes. They’re a very talented group.” Lucifer returned to his spot next to Chloe. “So how have you been? I haven’t seen you in over a week.” He was building the distance between them, wanting to talk about anything other than how he was feeling. 

“Oh, uhh…good.” Chloe pushed a stray hair behind her ear. Lucifer internally moaned. He wanted to be the one to do that.  

“I got that date with Christian.” Chloe smiled. 

“Oh! That’s exciting. Where is he taking you?” Lucifer asked, a forced smile on his face. Part of him hoped that Christian was stupid enough to take her somewhere she would hate, like a Hooter’s or dance club. The other part of him just wanted to see her happy. The war waged on in his head. 

“I don’t know. He’s picking me up on Saturday. To tell you the truth, every time I think about it, I get a little nervous. It’s been years since I’ve been on a first date.” 

Lucifer lit up a little. Yes, this was good. It was something for him to teach her about and it was a safe topic. Sex was always a safe topic with Lucifer. “Well, let me be of assistance then! I can help you with your date.” 

Chloe laughed. “What? Make another deal?” 

“I hadn’t thought of that, but yes. I could use your help again with our latest snag in finding these shackles and chains.” 

“Ok, sure. It worked out last time.” Chloe shrugged her shoulders. 

“Excellent!” Lucifer got up and held out his hand. 

Chloe looked at him, confused. “What?” 

“Come with me. We’ll go out onto the balcony. It’s the only place I have a table and chairs.” His hand still hovered. “Come, come, we haven’t got all night.” His eyes sparkled. 

Chloe drank the last sip of her wine and took his hand. Lucifer felt that familiar tingling sensation in his chest and for a moment he smiled at their entwined hands before quickly letting go. Immediately regretting the lack of contact he had with her, he looked at her empty glass. “Oh, that won’t do. Be right back, darling. I’ll get you another drink.” 

As Lucifer got her another glass of wine, Chloe walked out into the night air. It was a little chilly and she was glad she wore her sweater. She pulled her arms around her and stared into the distance. 

“Here you are.” Lucifer put the wine in front of Chloe’s face and she took it. “Right, now. First things first, what’s wrong with this table?” 

Chloe looked down at the small glass table with two chairs sitting opposite each other. “Uhh…they’re a little sun bleached?” 

“No. Although, you’re right. I’ll have to tell the manufacturer. They promised it wouldn’t do that.” Lucifer remarked gruffly. Chloe giggled a little. “Anyway, you can’t make out with someone if you’re sitting across from one another. You need close body contact, let all those subtle hints of body language work in your favor.” Lucifer moved one chair to sit next to the other. “Sit.” He held out the chair for her. 

Chloe’s smile broadened, and she took the seat, letting him scoot the chair in for her. 

“Now, if he wants to impress you, he’ll tell you all of the great things he’s doing at work. And you’ll really know if he’s interested if he searches for your approval.” Lucifer took a seat next to Chloe, quite close. Just making an example of that body contact he spoke of.

“Ok…so how do I show him I approve?” Chloe asked. 

“Nodding and sounding impressed helps. ‘Wow, that’s so amazing.’ Or, ‘You lead such a fulfilling life.’” Lucifer mused. 

“So, I have to stroke his ego?” 

“Well, if you want the chance of stroking anything else, yes,” Lucifer said, his sly smile creeping across his face. 

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Ok, I’ll bite. How do I know if he wants me to stroke anything else?” 

“Oh, that’s the easiest thing to notice, like this.” Lucifer leaned in close to Chloe, and lifted his finger to her chin, stroking downward. His smile faded, and his eyes went dark. He looked into her turquoise blue eyes and then gazed down at her plump red lips. Chloe licked them under his stare. Then, Lucifer searched back up to her eyes and bored into her soul with deep, rich brown eyes of his own. 

He inched closer, ever so slightly, and their noses brushed together. Chloe could smell the sweet, smoky scent of alcohol on his breath. Her heart hammered in her chest and she nipped at her bottom lip. Directing her chin up, Lucifer lined their lips up together and stilled. He waited to see what she would do.

Chloe closed the distance. 

She let her eyes flutter shut. His stubble felt rough against her skin, a hard contrast to the silkiness of his lips. Lucifer moved his hand from her chin to the side of her neck, controlling the turn of her head and kneading at the base of her skull. He licked at Chloe’s bottom lip and she opened her mouth obligingly. He tasted of whiskey and something sweeter. His tongue lapped against her own as his other hand moved to her knee. She touched his face and pulled him in closer, her hand sliding to the nape of his neck and playing with the soft curls that refused to be tamed with product. Chloe moaned from the back of her throat. That noise seemed to be enough to make Lucifer still and pull back. Chloe immediately missed his lips on hers as she touched her mouth. 

Lucifer cleared his throat and stood. “Yes, just like that.” He picked up his glass and walked to the other side of the terrace, turning his back on her. 

Chloe couldn’t say that she wasn’t thankful for the moment. A million thoughts ran through her head. He had been trying to get into her pants for years, now he had the chance and he pulled away. Why? She wasn’t even drunk. What did this mean between them? Was she really so bad of a kisser that he pulled away so fast? Looking around for anything, Chloe grabbed her glass of wine, shut her eyes, and downed the whole thing, which was a mistake because she started coughing when she accidentally inhaled some of it. 

Lucifer turned and briskly walked back to Chloe. “Are you alright?” He put his hand on her back. 

Between coughs, she stuttered, “Yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry. It’s fine.” Chloe held up her hand to stave off her partner. 

“I’m sorry Detective. I don’t know what came over me. It won’t happen again.” Lucifer put his hands in his pockets, looking down at his shoes.

Still clearing her throat, she shook her head. “No…” Fresh coughs erupted from her chest. 

“I understand, you want to be with Christian. I’ll respect your decision. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go down to the club and make sure everything is going ok.” Lucifer pointed behind himself. “Are you sure you’re alright?” 

“Yes…wai-“ Her voice was raspy. 

“I’m sure you can see yourself out. Thank you, Detective.” 

Chloe groaned in frustration. He couldn’t get away from her fast enough and he was calling her ‘Detective’ again. That’s what he did when he wanted distance from her.

Clear of any wine in her lungs, Chloe stood, intent on finding Lucifer downstairs. 

Down in the bar, the music was thumping louder than when she came in before. Bodies were smashed together, the lights were dimmed, and she couldn’t see more than two people in front of her. 

She pushed her way to the center of the club, knowing he’d be at the epicenter of the party. Shoving a group of girls out of her way she came face to face with Lucifer…and the two women he already had under each arm. 

He had plastered a bright smile on his face and when he saw her, there was a look of surprise.

“Detective! Come to join the party? I’m sure we can find someone for you to get into trouble with.” Chloe ‘s shoulders slouched. Whatever moment they had upstairs, whatever it was between them, Lucifer had built up the walls again. He no longer showed the care and consideration, or the hurt and stress this case was causing him. No. This was party Lucifer and his walls were impenetrable. 

“No. Thank you.” Chloe gave Lucifer one last cold glare, shook her head, and shoved her way to the entrance. She stopped at the bar and hailed Maze over. 

“Will you be home tonight?” Chloe asked. 

“I wasn’t planning on it.” Maze leaned over the bar. 

“Will you come home tonight?” Chloe pleaded. 

Maze looked Chloe up and down. “Sure.” 

“Thank you.” And with that, Chloe left the club. 

Lucifer was still on the dance floor, grinding up against some woman. He didn’t even know her name, not that he really cared. He eyed Chloe until he saw her leave. Once she was gone, Lucifer dropped his hands from the woman’s hips and stood a little straighter. 

“Hey, where are you going? The party’s just beginning.” The woman was pretty, but in Lucifer’s eyes, she had nothing on Chloe. 

“Sorry, love. Just not in the mood anymore.” He left her standing in the middle of the dance floor. 

He could still smell Chloe’s perfume on his jacket and feel her soft lips against his. He pushed the button of the elevator to go up to the penthouse. When the doors open, he stepped in and before they shut a hand pushed them back. 

“What did you do to Chloe?” Maze demanded.

He didn’t even have the strength to brush off the question, still in his own state of shock. He stared into Maze’s eyes. “I kissed her.” 

Maze stepped back, surprised, and the doors shut, leaving Lucifer staring at his own reflection in the brushed metal doors. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anberlin - The Haunting   
> It's a beautiful song.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maze agrees, such idiots.

Chloe was sitting on the couch in her apartment with another glass of wine in her hand. Well, one thing was for sure. He helped her forget about the day’s events. This kiss wasn’t like the one on the beach. That kiss had been chaste, almost friendly. Lucifer had been berating himself that he wasn’t worth it, and she wanted to show him that he was. This kiss though was hot and full of want. Their bodies had melded together almost perfectly, and she needed more of it. 

One side of Chloe’s brain was telling her to go, be with Lucifer, let him show her all he was capable of. She didn’t care that he didn’t want it, she wanted it. If the kiss was that good, the sex had to be out of this world. With one touch, he had sent her body ablaze. 

The other side of Chloe’s brain was stopping her. There was too much history, too much at risk if she pursued that. She would want more. She would want a relationship and that was something Lucifer couldn’t give her. He had made that painfully clear with Candy. She didn’t want to be another notch in his bedpost and based on how she found him in the club after their little embrace, she knew that’s exactly what she’d be. 

_ So, I have feelings for Lucifer _ , Chloe thought. Well, the first step in solving a problem is recognizing there is one. She was a seasoned detective of the LAPD. She had seen the worst of humanity and that was before the crime scene today. If there was anything she could handle, it was these pesky little feelings for a playboy club owner. Resolved, Chloe finished her wine and set the glass on the coffee table. 

Maze came storming through the door at that moment. 

“What the hell happened?” She stood in front of Chloe with her hands on her hips. 

“I kissed him.” Chloe picked up her wine glass, intent on getting another one. “But don’t worry, it didn’t mean anything, especially not to him.” Chloe gave a sad smile. 

Maze rolled her eyes. “You two are such idiots.” 

“Hey, it was a mistake. It happens.” 

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” Maze paced and snarled. “Ok, we all know I’m not good with emotions, so this is all you get.” Maze pointed her finger at Chloe. “I have never seen Lucifer so affected by a stupid human as he is with you. Don’t fuck it up.” 

What was that supposed to mean? “He ran away to some woman in a skimpy dress. I’m the last thing he wants.” 

“Of course he ran away, he’s scared out of his mind.” Maze grumbled. 

“Thanks for the advice Maze, but I think it’s best if we just forget it happened at all.” Chloe stood to go to bed. She was done with this conversation. 

“Lucifer’s an idiot, and you’re just as bad.” Maze grunted as she slammed her bedroom door. 

“Thanks?” Chloe rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs. 


	15. Chapter 15

The lieutenant had called all-hands-on-deck for this one, so within 48 hours an autopsy was done, and all the evidence was processed, all except for the feather which had mysteriously gone  _ missing _ . 

“I don’t know how it went missing!” Ella frantically searched her lab. “I swear, it was right here yesterday when I went to process it and now it’s suddenly gone.” 

The one clue they had vanished into thin air and Chloe was discouraged. “Did you leave it at the crime scene?” 

“No! It was right here.” Ella pointed down at the counter. 

“Well, at least we have pictures. Can you search based on that?” 

“Yea, it’ll take more time though. Lucifer said it was a secondary covert, so I’ll have to manually search for it.” Ella looked like she was about to break down in tears. 

“Hey, it’s ok. We got something.” Chloe went to her friend and rubbed her back soothingly.

“I know, but this case just keeps getting weirder.” Ella wiped at her eyes. 

“So, what have we got?” Lucifer walked into the lab at that moment, a latte in hand for the detective and bright smile plastered on his face. 

Chloe gawked at him. Well, it seemed that she wasn’t the only one that was ignoring the events of the previous evening. 

“Uhh…the feather went missing.” 

“Mmm.” Lucifer took a sip from his own cup, shoulders relaxing a little. 

Chloe’s instincts ringed and she squinted her eyes at him. He didn’t seem surprised. “…and that’s a bad thing.” 

“Yes, yes. Terrible. How did the autopsy go?” Lucifer turned to Ella, deflecting. He hadn't looked at Chloe. In fact, he was looking at anything but her. 

Ella switched gears and went into work mode, pulling out a file. “Well, after we washed off all the blood and accounted for all of her organs, we found that she was missing about six feet of large intestines. When we removed her hands from her stomach, we found her own hair in clumps under her nails. It all looks self-inflicted.” 

“Were the intestines cut?” Chloe asked. 

Ella’s face went a little pale. “No…they looked chewed at the ends. We didn’t get any teeth imprints, but it looks human.” 

Chloe’s mind went back to the horror scene from a few days ago. “Did we get a family member to confirm identification?” 

Ella gave Chloe sad eyes, “Yea, her mother. This is Mary Hopkins, a marketing intern for a local production company.” Ella handed Chloe another file with the victim’s information. “You should talk to her mother.” 

“Anything else?” Chloe asked. 

“Along with the hair under her nails, we found some sand particles. It looks like it could have come from any beach in the LA area, but we’re looking into it.” 

It wasn’t a lot to go on, but it was something. “Thanks,” Chloe said under her breath and walked out of the lab doors, Lucifer trailing behind. 

“So we have a feather and sand.” Chloe thought out loud as she made her way to the conference room where she had put up all of the evidence from the previous murders. “That’s something new.” 

Lucifer thought for a moment. “Sounds like it could be anywhere. Not only is there sand at the beach, but it’s out in the desert too.” 

Chloe pinned up Mary’s photo next to the other three victims. “It points to someplace remote. A feather that big would be attached to an animal you don’t see within city limits.” 

“Too right.” Lucifer took a pin and stuck it in the location of Mary’s murder. “Before it looked like a triangle and we thought that the murderer could be at the center of it. Now it appears that he’s moving northward.” Lucifer moved his finger to follow the trend. 

“Yea and they’re all following beaches. Look.” Each location had a direct route to a beach along the coastline. “We should go talk to the mother and see what Mary was up to the day before.” 

The drive to Mrs. Hopkins house was quiet. Neither of them wanting to disturb the other. Lucifer sat straight up and stared at the passing buildings. 

Clearing her throat, Chloe asked, “So how was the rest of your evening?” She internally grimaced at herself. One, for bringing up the night before and two, because she really didn’t want to know how the rest of his night went. 

“Fine. And you?” Lucifer said without any hint of emotion. 

“Fine,” Chloe replied. 

Back to the awkward silence. She turned on the radio to her favorite channel. Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing blared through the speakers and they both jumped to change the channel. They touched fingers for a moment and then pulled back just as quickly as if the touch had sent an electrical shock through their hands. Aggravated, Chloe slammed on the button and turned off the music. 

“This is ridiculous. It was just a kiss, Lucifer. It didn’t mean anything.” Chloe clenched the steering wheel. She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince, him or herself. 

He turned and looked at her with hurt eyes before replacing his mask. “Right. Of course, Detective.” 

They lapsed into silence again. 

At Mrs. Hopkins house, Chloe knocked on the door and a short woman with red puffy eyes and disheveled hair answered.

“Hello, Mrs. Hopkins?” Chloe asked. 

The little woman nodded and blew her nose into a tissue. 

“LAPD. I’m Detective Decker, this is Mr. Morningstar. We’re sorry about your loss. Can we come in and ask you a few questions?” Chloe had rehearsed this line over and over and it never got any easier. 

The little woman nodded again and opened the door wider for them to enter. 

Sitting in the living room, Chloe looked around the house. It was well lived in. There were pictures of Mary on the mantle and various knickknacks scattered around. 

“Mrs. Hopkins-“ 

“Please, call me Susan.” The woman took a deep breath. 

“Susan, can you tell us where your daughter was this past Sunday?” 

“I spoke with her on Saturday night.” Susan swallowed hard. “She had just finished a project for work and was planning on taking a jog the next morning at Hermosa beach. She loved it there.” Susan’s eyes glazed over with memories. 

“Did she mention if she was going with anyone?” Chloe asked. 

Lucifer hadn’t said a word. Normally, he would have made a joke about sex on the beach or made a crass comment on the woman’s home by now. 

“No. She wasn’t dating anyone, and she preferred to jog alone. I always told her to be more careful.” Fresh tears fell down Susan’s face. 

“Did you speak with her on Sunday? Did she mention anyone she saw?” Chloe asked. 

Susan shook her head and wiped away the tears now streaming down her face, sobs erupting from her mouth. 

Susan was too distraught to help anymore. Chloe stood and motioned for Lucifer to follow. “If you think of anything else, please give me a call. And again, I’m so sorry for your loss.” Chloe put her card on the coffee table and exited the house. 

“So, to the beach, then?” Lucifer asked as they made their way to the car. 

Chloe smiled. “You know, I think you’re finally getting the hang of this detective thing.” 

At Hermosa beach, Chloe looked up and down the coastline. It was relatively quite being a weekday. A few families on vacation and a lifeguard sitting in his chair. She started walking north, Lucifer keeping up in long strides. 

“These shoes are Gucci, Detective. I’ll be banging sand out of them for a month after this little escapade.” Lucifer pouted and looked down at his black loafers. 

Back to whining. Chloe thought this was actually an improvement. She could handle pouting Lucifer. What she couldn’t handle was stoic, silent Lucifer. She rolled her eyes at him in mock annoyance. “Somehow I think you will survive. Besides, aren’t those last year’s style?” She was trying to rile him up. 

“Last year’s-? Why I’ll have you know that I would never-“ Lucifer furrowed his eyebrows at her and she laughed. Realization crossed his face. “Bravo, Detective.” 

Chloe looked up the side of the beach and saw a few kids running around what looked like a cave. “What’s that, up there?” She started walking toward it. 

Lucifer followed her gaze towards the cave. 

It wasn’t a deep cave, more of a cavern. They could see the back of it in daylight, maybe one hundred feet away. Entering, Chloe looked around and saw a small cloth bag thrown to the side, covered in sand. She picked it up and opened it. Inside were Mary’s ID and a water bottle. 

“Mary was here.” Chloe’s heart hammered. She put the bag back down, realizing she didn’t have gloves on and took out her cell phone. “I’ll call Ella to come out and do a sweep. Maybe we’ll find something.” 

Lucifer looked around the cavern and nodded. “I’ll be just outside, Detective. I have to make a call.” 

Chloe’s instincts shot through her for a second time that day. “What aren’t you telling me?” She thought that he was just being weird because of the previous night, but this was different. 

“How quickly do you think Ella can get here? I have some business to attend to.” Lucifer asked. He was deflecting. He knew it. Chloe knew it. But he wasn’t going to answer. 

Chloe put that little piece of information in the back of her mind for later and called up Ella, watching Lucifer walk away. 

“Hey Ella, we’ve got something. We’re at Hermosa Beach. How fast can you get here?” 

Lucifer walked outside of the cavern and stepped far enough away that Chloe couldn’t see him raise his hands together. 

The birds in the sky stilled, the kids kicking up water at each other stopped, frozen in time. 

“Have you found something?” Amenadiel asked. 

“Well, hello to you too brother.” Lucifer played with his cufflinks. “Mammon was here. We need to sweep the cavern for anything divine.” He pointed behind him. 

Amenadiel’s only response was to start walking towards the cave. 

Chloe was frozen, standing with her cell to her ear. Lucifer looked her up and down and shook his head. This woman was going to be the death of him. Of course, the kiss mattered, it mattered so much to him that he didn’t even have sex with anyone else the night before. His dreams were of her, her smile, her laugh, her body pressed close to his. It was going to drive him insane. 

“Are you going to help or are you just going to marvel at my ability to stop time?” Amenadiel yelled from somewhere deeper in the cavern. 

They did a quick sweep and didn’t find any feathers or signs of divinity. Satisfied, they left the cave. 

“You and Maze should start searching the caves up and down the coastline. Each of the murders corresponds to a beach. It seems you can take the angel out of Hell, but you can’t take Hell out of the angel. Mammon is picking cold, dark caves,” Lucifer explained. 

“I’ve been trying to work out those symbols you gave me. I haven’t found anything yet. I’ll let you know if I do.” Amenadiel unfurled his wings and flew away. The birds started flying again and the sound of laughter came back as the kids splashed one another. Lucifer stood for a moment, looking out into the sea. Much like him, it looked calm and serene on the surface but deep underneath it all, the currents pushed and pulled. A storm was brewing. 

“Hey, Ella will be here in about an hour.” Chloe came up behind him. 

Lucifer made no movement that he had heard her. 

“Once she gets here, I’ll drop you off at Lux?” Chloe questioned, again Lucifer didn’t move. She assumed that was ok and went back to the cave in search of clues. 


	16. Chapter 16

Aside from Mary’s bag, Ella didn’t find anything else at the beach but it was a start. Chloe and Lucifer spent the rest of the week mapping out places to search. They went back to the beaches closest to the three previous murders and found similar items. No more feathers though. The transfer paperwork forgotten, Chloe felt a little bit better about the case. They had evidence and a direction to follow. The perp was using beaches to lure victims in.  The precinct provided a list of beaches, caves, and caverns to scout out. But she still didn’t know how he was making it appear self-inflicted...

Putting work out of her head, Chloe left the precinct on Friday looking forward to her date with Christian that weekend. Lucifer had given her the cold shoulder and was sticking to business as usual. If he could do it, so could she. She didn’t need a moody, secretive, chaotic man in her personal life. She needed consistency and emotional stability. If for nothing else, Chloe had to think about Trixie. Sure, her daughter liked Lucifer, but he wasn’t exactly the best role model for a young girl. She could just see the conversations Lucifer and Trixie would have as she got older. 

_ “Detective, she wanted to learn how to drive. It’s not my fault she can’t reach the pedals without sitting on a phone book.” Lucifer would justify with a 12-year-old Trixie smiling from the driver's seat. _

_ “If you want to have sex with him, then do it! Follow your desires, child.” Lucifer would tell Trixie at 16 with her first boyfriend.  _

Chloe laughed at herself and then tried to imagine Christian in the same situations. She really couldn’t, but that was probably just because she hadn’t gotten to know him well enough yet. 

Saturday evening came and Chloe got ready for her date. She pulled two outfits from her closet. The first, a simple, appropriate combination of jeans and a nice top. The second, the little black dress Lucifer bought her and a brand-new pair of stiletto pumps, fresh out of the box. 

She bit her lip as she mulled over her choices. She could be the mom, or she could be the temptress. 

“Fuck it,” She murmured to herself and grabbed the dress. 

Chloe matched it with a deep smoky eye, red lipstick and the bullet necklace she never took off.  If this didn’t get Christian’s engine roaring, Chloe wasn’t sure what would. She looked sexy. Marveling at her work in the mirror, she snapped a few selfies with her phone. 

Chloe debated whether or not to show Lucifer. They’d have to go back to normal at some point and the easiest way was to get him to make a sexual joke, right? 

She put the picture of herself into a message and typed,  _ “Thanks for all your help! Wish me luck!”  _ stalled for a second and hit send. 

She stared down at her phone and within seconds saw that he read the message. Ellipses showed up that he was typing something and then disappeared. Her heart was hammering in her chest. The ellipses showed up again and her phone vibrated with a message. 

_ “No luck needed. You’re stunning.”  _

Chloe let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She desperately wanted his approval but was expecting something along the lines of ‘I’m going back to that store and buying you that dress in every color they have’ or ‘Forget Christian, I’ll be over in 15 minutes’, or even just an eggplant emoji and a winky face. Instead, she got considerate Lucifer, which made it that much harder to smother her growing attraction for him. 

Chloe took one last look at herself in the mirror and walked downstairs to wait for Christian. 

Across town at Lux, Lucifer was sitting in his normal booth, girls and boys draped all over him. He reached down and adjusted himself in his pants. 

“Mm, someone seems ready for the after party.” A 20-something boy moved his hand up Lucifer’s leg. 

Lucifer grabbed the guy’s wrist and shook his head. “I don’t think so. Not tonight, Love.” He released the man and got up from his seat. When he received the message from Chloe, he had been expecting an update on the case, not a picture of her looking like walking sex. His initial reaction was to type to hell with Christian and that he was coming over. He was going to give her exactly what that dress demanded: his undivided attention. History stopped him. She was still a miracle from God. She still deserved her free will. She deserved to be happy with someone that didn’t have evil siblings trying to take over the world. 

But at the thought of Christian holding Chloe’s hand or kissing her impossibly perfect lips, Lucifer sneered. The terribly named human didn’t deserve Chloe. He didn’t deserve to see her smile or hear her laugh. Not that Lucifer did either. 

Lucifer adjusted his pants again as he entered his penthouse and walked to the terrace. He had tried three nights ago to bed a beautiful woman with long brown hair and sexy little hips, but when he closed his eyes all he saw was Chloe.  He hadn’t had anyone since Maze in Egypt and it was causing his frustrations to boil over at everyone around him. Lucifer screamed out in frustration and gripped the railing so tight he bent it. This wasn’t him. How could he let a human get to him like this? 

As if on cue, Maze walked through the door. “What the hell is wrong with you? You just stormed out on a perfectly good threesome.” Maze yelled at him from behind. 

Lucifer turned to face her, eyes angry, and snarled “Take off your clothes.”  Maze he could handle. She knew everything, after all. He started to unbutton his shirt. 

“What?” Maze asked in disbelief. 

“Do as I say, Mazikeen.” Lucifer raised his voice, threateningly. 

“No.” Maze scoffed. “I’m not going to be your  _ sexual relief _ . Figure it out with Decker.”

“Why won’t you listen to me?” Lucifer bellowed and fell to his knees. 

“I’m no one’s second-place prize.” Maze stormed out of the apartment, leaving Lucifer on his knees, shaking with frustration. 

He did the only thing he thought would prevent him from searching for Chloe. He called Linda. Maybe she would be able to fix this. 

“Hello?” 

“Hello, Doctor.” Lucifer swallowed hard and tried to sound as normal as possible. 

“Lucifer. What’s wrong? Is everything ok? Is the apocalypse starting?” The panic in Linda’s voice was easily discernible. 

“Everything is fine. No need to worry about Mammon. We’ve got it under control.” Lucifer exacerbated. 

With a heavy breath over the phone, Linda’s therapist voice came through. “How can I help you?” 

Lucifer didn’t say anything for a minute. How was he supposed to express this? 

“The detective is on a date with that…insufferable human.” 

“….ok, and?” Linda asked. 

“Well, he doesn’t deserve her!” 

“And you know this how? Have you ever met him?” Linda asked. 

“Well, no. But I just know!” Of course, he knew. No one was good enough for the detective. 

“Has Chloe given you any indication of why he wouldn’t be good enough?” She probed. 

“No.” Lucifer dropped his head down and stared at his shoes. 

“Chloe is human. Humans have faults. She’s perfectly capable of making this decision for herself, even if it turns out to be a mistake. We have to let the people in our lives live their own lives. You said it yourself, she has the free will to choose who she wants to be with.” 

“How can you say that, Doctor?” Lucifer scoffed. “Chloe is perfect. She’s kind and loving and she always puts the people around her first over her own desires. She’s everything.” He was getting angrier. How dare Linda talk about Chloe in such a basic way. 

“Why does it upset you that I’m pointing out a fact?” If Lucifer were in front of Linda right now, he would see the slight smile of excitement on Linda’s face. She was pushing his buttons in the hopes that he would recognize what he was saying. 

Lucifer growled through the phone. “Because she deserves the best!” 

“Why?” 

“Because I’m in l-“ Lucifer stopped mid-sentence. No. Absolutely not. He couldn’t finish that sentence. He couldn’t finish that thought. He had to get himself under control. “Thank you, Doctor.” He hung up the phone. 

No. Chloe deserved better than the monster he is. He’d have to resolve himself to dealing with Christian. If that’s who she wants, he’ll have to accept that. 

He may have a supernatural metabolism, but if he shoved an 8 ball of coke up his nose, he could get at least an hour of oblivion. Nodding to himself, Lucifer made his way back down to Lux. 

 

__

It was 7:15 by the time Christian showed up. It was still within the range of acceptable, but Chloe’s smile when she opened to the door was a little tighter than it could have been. 

“Wow! You look…amazing!” Christian’s eyes blew wide. 

“Thank you.” Chloe closed the door behind her and locked it. “So where are we going?” 

“Well, I was thinking about going to this bar downtown. It’s supposed to be the hottest place around.” 

Chloe internally prayed. Don’t say Lux, don’t say Lux…

“It’s called Lux! Have you ever been there?” Christian asked. He was wearing a dark blue suit and a white dress shirt with the top button undone, and Chloe noticed it didn’t quite fit him, not the way Lucifer’s always did. 

“Too many times to count, actually.” Chloe laughed a little.

“Oh.” Christian’s face fell a little. “Well, maybe next time then. How about The Black Cat? It’s a quiet jazz bar.” 

“That sounds perfect.” 

They walked up to Christian’s car in silence. It wasn’t a classic Corvette, but a modest luxury sedan. Christian walked around the driver’s side without opening the door for Chloe. She thought back to all the times Lucifer had opened doors for her or scooted in her chair. Her internal war raged. She had to stop comparing Christian to Lucifer.  _ Apples and oranges. _

They drove to the bar and made polite small talk. Yes, the weather had been nice. No, he didn’t see that on the news. Trixie was doing well. Beth got a tutor for math. It was all very normal. No sexual innuendos, no bickering. Just adult conversation. 

The jazz bar was quiet, a stage at the front in a dimly lit room. No women gyrating in the center of a dance floor, no thumping music or scantily clad bartenders, just a quaint bar to have a few drinks. 

Christian pointed to a table that had two chairs across from each other and Chloe thought back to Lucifer’s suggestions. No, that wouldn’t do. Chloe grabbed Christian’s hand and led him to a little booth where they could sit next to each other. 

A waitress came up and asked for their drink orders. 

“Can I have a glass of pinot noir please?” Chloe said. “House is fine.” 

“I’ll have a Cosmo,” Christian said. 

Chloe side eyed him. A Cosmo, really?

“So, tell me, what do you do for fun?” Chloe looked sideways at her date. 

“Actually, I’ve really gotten into collecting stamps.” 

Chloe’s smile froze. Had she heard him right? Stamps? “Really?” She tried not to seem so shocked. 

“Yes, it’s quite fascinating. Did you know that the first stamp was issued in Britain in May of 1840 by…” Christian’s eyes lit up as he talked, and Chloe tuned him out. Where was that drink?  She nodded along and smiled when he needed encouragement to talk. 

“That sounds fascinating,” Chloe said. Finally, their drinks were put in front of them and Chloe took a long sip. 

“And stamp collecting is actually coming back around. People are excited to get paper mail again and…” Chloe drank her wine as Christian continued to ramble about his stamp collecting. 

“Would you like to see my collection sometime?” Chloe understood this to be ‘the sign’ that he was looking for approval. 

“Yea, I’d love to,” Chloe lied. 

“There’s actually a stamp convention in a few weeks. Would you like to go with me?” 

“When is it?” Chloe screamed in her head. 

“In three weeks, Saturday.” 

“Umm…oh, you know, I think I have Trixie that weekend.” 

“Well, that’s ok. I’ll bring Beth, we’ll make a day of it. I’d love for you to meet all my friends.” 

Chloe couldn’t do anything but say yes. Aside from the fact that she had zero interest in stamp collecting, Christian was genuinely interested in her and  _ shame on her _ for not supporting him in his hobbies. 

“So, what do you do for fun?” Christian took a sip of his Cosmo. 

What did Chloe do for fun? She enjoyed reading, and occasionally going to the beach, but most of her free time was either spent with Trixie or with Lucifer. “Umm…I’m sure you can understand, I work a lot of strange hours. I don’t have a lot of time for myself. I do like going to the beach though.” 

“Oh, that’s nice.” Christian took another drink and the conversation stalled. 

“So…tell me more about the stamps you collect.” And with that Christian was back on talking about all the places he had stamps from, Canada, Europe, even Africa. 

After they’d had a few drinks, they left the jazz club and walked back to the car. 

“I had a really nice time tonight, thanks for the drinks,” Chloe lied through her teeth and leaned up against the door. 

“I did too,” Christian said, standing in front of her. He did the thing that Lucifer did. He looked at her eyes, then her lips and back to her eyes. Chloe softly smiled and allowed his lips to come to hers. 

He tasted wrong. The acidic tang of cranberry and the bitter smell of vodka hit her nose. His hand came up to her face, but it was too soft from washing his hands all the time at the clinic. She closed her eyes and tried to enjoy it, but his body didn’t feel right against hers. 

She pushed on his chest for him to back away. “No. I’m sorry. I can’t do this. This isn’t right.” 

Christian had a concerned look on his face and then dropped it in a sigh of relief. “Oh good. I thought I was the only one.” 

Chloe pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and laughed. “Yea, there’s no feelings there. Sorry.” 

“It’s ok. To be honest, the reason my wife and I divorced was because she was too devoted to her research. I don’t think I could do that again, but you look really hot in that dress.” 

Chloe kicked herself internally. She was just a little obsessed with her job. “I really did have a good time. And thank you about the dress, although I don’t think it’s me. A…friend picked it out for me.” 

“Oh, it’s you. If you ever want to guarantee interest from a guy, wear that dress.” 

Chloe laughed and got in the car.  With the weight of a potential relationship gone, they were much more relaxed and the conversation was less forced. 

“So that necklace you’re wearing…what is it?” Christian asked as he drove. 

“Oh, it’s a bullet.” Chloe laughed a little. She touched the pendant and was reminded again, of Lucifer. 

“A bullet?” Christian’s brows wrinkled and he glanced her way. 

“Yea. It’s a funny story actually. I shot my partner and he had the bullet turned into a necklace. Gave it to me for my birthday.” Chloe reminisced about their hug. It was one of those strange moments when Lucifer was lucid and sincere. He had meant every word that night, that he would never lie to her again and that she mattered so much to him. 

“You shot your partner?”

“Well, he asked me to.” Chloe laughed. “He thinks he’s the Devil and that he’s immortal so I shot him.” 

Christian laughed, a great big snort. “How do you deal with that? I mean, the actual Devil?” 

“Believe me. It’s not easy, but he makes me a better detective. He’s volatile and impulsive and passionate. Everything I’m not,” Chloe said softly. 

“You know, if my wife talked about me the way you talk about him, we’d still be together.” 

Chloe let the conversation die there. She didn’t need to be told for the umpteenth time by someone that she was ignoring what was plainly in front of her. She saw it. She knew. But what they didn’t see was his inability to trust her or tell her the whole truth. He was a sex and drug addict. She can’t have that around her daughter. She can’t find him after a crazy Lux party, keeled over the toilet, overdosing on cocaine. It would break her heart and she had to protect herself from that. 

Back at her apartment and after a quick goodbye to Christian, Chloe unzipped her dress as she walked up the stairs. Unclasping her heels and throwing on an old shirt, she climbed into bed.  She threw her head back and stared at the ceiling. This was really all Lucifer’s fault. Her anger flared. 

If he hadn’t been nice to her or shown any signs of a reciprocal relationship, it wouldn’t’ be this hard. If all he was was the playboy millionaire and club owner, she could easily dismiss him. 

Picking up her phone, she checked to see if she had any missed calls. Nothing. A part of her wanted to see a text from Lucifer, which just made her anger flare more. She needed to talk to someone about this and seeing as Maze was at the club, she only had two options: Ella or Linda. Ella would make a big deal out of everything and would be far less help. 

She brought the phone to her ear and waited. 

“Hello?” A sleepy Linda said. 

“Hey, it’s Chloe. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I’ll give you a call tomorrow,” Chloe stammered. 

“No! No, no. It’s fine.” 

Chloe heard rustling and waited. 

“What’s up?” Linda asked. 

Chloe tried to put her thoughts in order and rolled her eyes. 

“It’s just…I had a date tonight. He’s a great guy! He’s a single parent so he understands the struggles we go through. Trixie loves his daughter, they’re best friends. He’s a doctor, for goodness sake! And I ruined it. Why? Because all I do in my free time is spend it with Lucifer. Lucifer!” Chloe raised her voice and shook her head in disbelief at herself. 

“This self-centered, drug addict, millionaire, who thinks he’s the Devil, is in my head. What is wrong with me?!” Chloe slammed her free hand down on the bed beside her and gritted her teeth. 

“We can’t control who we love,” Linda said lazily. 

“NO! I don’t love him! No.” Chloe refused to admit that to Linda. 

“You know, maybe it’s worth working within his metaphor. Maybe, you can learn more about him by embracing his ideas.” What Chloe couldn’t see was Linda rolling her eyes. These adorable idiots were going to be the death of her. 

Chloe didn’t respond. 

“I’m proud of you though, for going out with Christian. It’s a great step, Chloe.” Linda said. 

“Yea…well, another one bites the dust,” Chloe grumbled. 

“We all make mistakes. We’re only human.” 

“Thanks, Linda. Sorry for calling so late. Tribe night, next week?” Chloe turned the conversation away from her internal struggle. 

“Of course. Let me know.” 

After hanging up, Chloe wrapped herself around a pillow. She had to get control over this. She couldn’t let it affect anything, especially the case. She’d just have to figure out a way to ignore all of it, she thought, as she drifted off to sleep with images of dark eyes and a perfect smile dancing in her mind.


	17. Chapter 17

Chloe walked into Lucifer’s penthouse to the sounds of the piano playing and an angelic voice singing. At the bench, Lucifer sat in nothing but a pair of black silk boxer briefs and a matching robe. 

_ “I don’t blame you, _

_ We got carried away, _

_ I can’t hold on, _

_ To an empty space, _

_ Now you’ve found a new star to orbit, _

_ It could be love, _

_ I think you’re too soon to call us old, _

_ When and where did we go cold, _

_ I thought I had you on hold.” _

Chloe’s chest tightened at the lyrics. He hadn’t heard her come in and continued to sing. 

_ “And every time I let you leave, _

_ I always saw you coming back to me, _

_ When and where did we go cold, _

_ I thought I had you on hold.” _

Once he had finished the final chords, he turned and looked at her with deep, dark eyes. Without thinking, Chloe marched right up to him, took his face in her hands and kissed him. Lucifer responded immediately, grabbing at her hips, pulling her closer. He licked at her bottom lip, requesting entry, to which she happily allowed. His kiss was deep and wanton. He explored every corner of her mouth, his hands kneading at her waist. 

As quickly as he had deepened the kiss, he pulled away. Chloe whined in protest and stared down into his dark brown eyes, pupils were blown with lust. She raked her hand across his face and into his hair. He swung his legs over the piano stool and stood in front of Chloe. Her eyes drifted to his body as her hands found his chest on instinct. She craned her head up to reach his already swollen lips. Lucifer pulled her into him and she could feel his growing erection on her stomach. 

Still kissing her and nipping at her lips, Lucifer picked Chloe up and walked to the bedroom. Silky sheets glided over Chloe's back as Lucifer laid her tenderly down. The mattress dipped around her and in moments he was on top of her. Her hands went to his sides and she felt all along his stomach, his chest, his back, his shoulders. 

Lucifer never took his lips off of her. He kissed along her chin, bit down on her neck, and sucked at her collar. Chloe let out a soft moan from deep in her throat as he pressed himself against her core. She had too many clothes on for this, but Lucifer was already ahead of her. Leaning on one arm to brace himself above her, he unzipped her jeans and caressed her skin along her hips. 

“Lucifer!” Chloe keened out. The touch sent shocks up and down her spine that settled low in her belly. 

Lucifer rose onto his knees and tugged her shirt over her head. She fell back onto the pillow and Lucifer’s mouth was on her chest, his hands at her sides, itching underneath her bra. Chloe arched her back to let him access the clasp. With just a flick of his fingers, the lace was undone. He removed the bra, and her nipples peaked at the rush of cold air. Lucifer licked at the pointed bud and blew across her chest. Chloe let out a cry, feeling his hot breath sent shivers up her neck. 

He moved his mouth further down her body and left a wet trail with his tongue along her lace panties. With his face so close to her groin, Chloe instinctively shifted her hips and arched her back, a sly grin forming across Lucifer’s face in response. He pulled at the tight jeans and underwear, slowly removing them both from her legs. When the cool air hit her skin, Chloe moaned once more, closing her eyes. 

When she opened them again, Lucifer was on top of her eye to eye, rubbing his nose against hers. She noticed he was no longer wearing anything at all. “Are you sure?” Lucifer asked. 

“Yes, please, yes!” Chloe scratched at his back and moved her hands to cup his ass, fluttering her eyes closed, thrashing her head on the pillow. 

With one swift moment, Chloe was filled deep with Lucifer. She arched her back and screamed “Yes!” and opened her eyes, sitting up in her bed, sweat falling down the side of her face. 

Maze was standing in front of her at the foot of her bed, shaking her head. Chloe was breathless, confused, and now extremely horny. It was a dream? 

“The two of you are pathetic.” Maze said with crossed arms and left the room. 

Chloe swallowed hard and tried to get her breathing back to normal. She felt her heart stammering in her chest. She plopped her head back onto her now sweat-soaked pillow and groaned. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it was certainly the most graphic. At least Trixie wasn’t home to hear it. So much for control over the situation. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tom Ellis sang this song at a convention last year. Look it up on YouTube. It's magic.

Chloe walked into Lucifer’s penthouse to the sounds of the piano playing and an angelic voice. She had to stop and pinch herself to make sure it was reality that time. Lucifer was not clad in just underwear and a robe this time, but a full, dark gray, three-piece suit. 

_ “You're just like an angel, _

_ Your skin makes me cry, _

_ You float like a feather, _

_ In a beautiful world, _

_ I wish I was special, _

_ You're so fuckin' special, _

_ But I'm a creep, _

_ I'm a weirdo, _

_ What the hell am I doin' here? _

_ I don't belong here.” _

She sighed at the lyrics and walked up to take a seat next to him. He stopped playing and turned to her. She could see circles under his eyes and if it were anyone else, she’d ask what was wrong, but he wouldn’t tell her anyway. 

“Ready to start on that artifact thing?” Chloe resolved herself to asking, ignoring the disheveled look of his hair and ignoring the dream that was still plaguing her from this morning. 

“Yes, please.” Lucifer motioned towards the den they had worked in previously. 

After Chloe had settled herself in her leather chair, she looked at the picture. “So, what am I looking at?” 

“That’s the question, isn’t it? Amenadiel can’t figure it out either.” Lucifer had spent the remainder of his previous evening searching through books and scrolls. At least he had something to distract himself with. 

“Well, maybe you’re thinking about it wrong. Maybe it’s not a real symbol, but something else.” 

Lucifer contemplated this for a moment and thought back to everything else. “No, everything else was pretty straight forward.  _ Here’s the key, go there, desecrate this temple _ .” 

“Why does this one have to be that straightforward? Whoever hid these chains obviously doesn’t want them found.” Chloe glazed over his last additive.  The case they were working was much the same. The killer didn’t want to be found and was leaving breadcrumbs all over the city. Proof in all of the pins they had put in their map. 

Chloe looked back at the picture. “Maybe it’s a map,” she offered, Shrugging her shoulders. 

Lucifer stared at her with wide eyes. “You know, two celestial beings and a demon looked at that picture and none of us could come up with that.” He walked around his desk and pulled out a very large book. 

Slamming it down onto his desk with a loud thump, he opened it to reveal maps from all around the world. 

“You have an atlas?” 

“No. It’s a collection of old-world maps. It’s got Persia, the Roman Empire, and ah ha! The British Empire.” He flipped to a page with a map of Great Britain in 1169 A.D. 

“Why wouldn’t it be on a modern map? We can just search online.” Chloe ran her fingers along the old book, standing close to Lucifer. 

“The box I found it in was old. It wouldn’t be on anything from this century.” With the picture in his hand, Lucifer compared it to parts of the map, nothing seemed to match. 

“Hmm, could it be an aerial view of something?” Chloe wondered aloud. 

Lucifer looked back down at the picture and smacked his hand against his forehead “Of course!” He turned to Chloe, grabbed her by the upper arms, and kissed her forehead. “You’re brilliant!”. As quickly as he grabbed her, he moved away to pull out another leather-bound book. Chloe let out a shaky breath. His lips had been so warm, and the gesture wasn’t meant to send tingles down her spine or set her skin on fire, but it did. 

Without moving back to the desk, Lucifer flipped through pages and found what he was looking for. It gave Chloe a moment to catch her breath and refocus. 

“Yes!” He held up the book for Chloe to see. 

It was an aerial view of Stonehenge and it looked like the same dashes and dots in a circle. She beamed at him. 

“What would I do without you?” Lucifer took the book back and stared down at the page. “I’ll have to leave again. First flight tomorrow to Britain,” He mused to himself. 

“I’m glad I could help. That didn’t take too long.” 

“A drink to celebrate?” 

“Sure.” It was just one drink, and only because they had figured out the next clue. It was not at all because she wasn’t ready to leave him, and it certainly wasn’t because her heart flipped over in her chest at his bright smile. 

Out on the balcony, Lucifer and Chloe sat across from each other at the table, enjoying the light breeze and afternoon sun. 

“I never did ask. How did the date go last night? Did the dress work?” Lucifer swirled around his whiskey. 

“Oh. That. Yea, it’s not going to work out. There was no spark.” Chloe shrugged. 

“How could there not be a spark? You’re delightful, Darling.” 

“Well, he was into  _ stamp collecting _ .” Chloe reluctantly shared, sliding a distasteful tone of voice onto his choice of hobby.

Lucifer let out a full belly laugh. “Stamp collecting?” he managed in between cackles before another fit of laughter erupted from him. 

Chloe rolled her eyes and smiled. “Hey, he has a hobby and he enjoys it. That’s more than I can say for myself.” 

Lucifer let out a few more giggles and took a sip. “But you’re not boring, Dear.” 

“Yes, I am. I obsess over my job and the only thing I have outside of it is Trixie, a trigger-happy roommate, and  _ you _ .” 

“Now don’t go throwing me into that mix. I’m the life of the party. Ask anyone. And living with Maze has to be interesting.” He waved his glass around as if there were throngs of people to confirm his story. 

Chloe let out a small giggle. “I suppose you’re right.” 

A small, contented silence fell upon them. “Well, I better get going. I have to pick Trixie up from Dan’s.” Chloe hovered over her words for a moment, debating whether or not to say them. 

“We’re making burgers tonight. Want to come over?” Her heart skipped a beat. She was just asking as a friend and partner. 

“I’m afraid I can’t. I have a trip to plan.” 

“Oh, right.” Chloe wilted a little and stood up. Lucifer followed her to the elevator. “Well, text me. Let me know you’re safe.” 

“I won’t be in any danger, Darling. I promise.” Lucifer pulled Chloe in for a hug. 

Surprised at the show of affection, Chloe hugged him back. “Well, the Devil never breaks a deal. I’ll hold you to it.” 

Lucifer bent his head forwards, so he could arch an eyebrow at her. “Are you finally coming around?” 

“I’m willing to work within your metaphors,” Chloe snarked. 

“You’ve been talking to Linda, haven’t you?” Lucifer let go of Chloe and put his hands in his pockets. 

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Have a great trip. I’ll see you when you get back, yea?” 

“Yes, Darling.” He bowed his head toward her. 

Chloe walked into the elevator and could still smell the cologne he wore on her clothes. Lifting the shirt to her nose, she inhaled deeply, resolving herself to not washing the shirt until the smell was gone. 


	19. Chapter 19

After an exhausting fourteen-hour flight to Birmingham, a bumpy three-hour drive to Salisbury, and a half hour heated conversation with the concierge about their missing reservations, both Maze and Lucifer were more than ready to torture any guilty soul that came within a mile radius of them. 

“Bartender, I’d like a bottle of your finest whiskey, please.” Lucifer hailed over the barkeep. 

“The whole bottle?” 

“You’re right, make it two.” Lucifer laid down a few hundred-pound bills. 

Lucifer passed a bottle to Maze. She didn’t even bother with the glass. Twisting off the top, she chugged straight from the bottle. 

Lucifer took a little bit more time, drinking from an actual tumbler. 

“Night.” Maze wiped her lips after she drained the last of the amber liquid. 

“Thank you.” Lucifer poured himself another drink. 

“What?” Maze stopped in her tracks and turned around. 

“I said, thank you. You’ve been very helpful with this. I couldn’t have done it without you.” 

“Where the hell is this coming from?” Maze took a step back as if Lucifer were covered in vomit. 

“You’re not a second-place prize. I was wrong to make you feel that way. Thank you and I’m sorry for causing you pain.” Lucifer turned his back on the demon, ending the conversation. He had realized somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean that he had been using and abusing Maze’s obligations to him. With his heart in knots over Chloe, Maze was the only one telling it to him straight and the only one that had been there for him through everything. He valued her more than she knew. 

Maze stood in shock for a moment before swiveling on her heels and stomping to her room. 

“I don’t think I can do this. I’m not strong enough.” Lucifer said to no one in particular. 

“Not to eavesdrop on your conversation. But that woman is hot. Whoever it is that you’re choosing over her must be some kind of special.” The bartender leaned on the bar. 

Lucifer turned to look at him. “It’s complicated.” 

“I’ve heard it all. Try me.” 

Lucifer downed his drink and thought for a moment, “Where do I start? The greatest fall of them all? My father banished me to Hell and I rebelled for a second time, finding my way to the great city of Los Angeles. Maze and I partied, made deals, wreaked havoc up and down the coastline. Everything was going bloody fine until I met her. She makes me...feel things. I thought I was over it. I was protecting her. She deserves so much better than me. She is a miracle after all, sent by my father himself. To what end, I don’t know.” 

Lucifer poured another glass of whiskey. “And then I kissed her. Bloody stupid mistake that was.” 

He gulped down his drink. “And to top it all off, one of my many siblings has escaped Hell and is killing innocent people. If I don’t find what I’m looking for and send him back, he’ll likely start the apocalypse. So here I am in the middle of England with a demon who hates me, blue balls that could impress even a celibate monk, and a crazed fallen angel intent on destroying the world.” He raised his glass towards the bartender in salute. 

The bartender stared at Lucifer like he had three heads. “Have you tried asking for help?” 

“I’m sorry, pardon? Help? Who would help the Devil?” Lucifer blanched. 

“Your dad seems to have a lot to do with this. I’d start with him.” The bartender shrugged and moved away to clean another part of the bar. 

“Bloody good that’s done me so far,” Lucifer grumbled under his breath, thinking back to his mother. 

Draining the last of the bottle, Lucifer went to bed. 

The next evening, Maze and Lucifer careened down the highway toward Stonehenge, the sun setting over beautiful countryside just to their right. With the odd way Lucifer had been acting lately, they sat in amicable silence until they parked in front of the ancient stone structure.

“You know the story of how these were built, right?” Lucifer asked Maze as they hiked up the hill. 

“No.” Based on her expression, she didn’t care but Lucifer was going to tell her either way. 

“Way before Dad sent Gabriel down to Mary to scare the living daylights out of her, he was sent down on another mission. It was around 3,000 years before Christ. He was supposed to show a vision to a high priestess of the old religions. Instead, he spent a year drunk on mead, humping everything with a pulse. On one particularly hilarious night, played a rousing game of stone chess with one of the high priestess’s consorts. And so, you have...” Lucifer opened his arms and gestured towards Stonehenge. 

“Are you kidding me? Is there anything you angels don’t fuck up?” Maze scoffed. 

“Yes, all this drama and intrigue around Stonehenge and it turns out that Gabriel just didn’t clean up his toys.” 

Lucifer stepped into the inner circle, looking around the ground, searching for anything amiss. Nothing looked like it didn’t belong. There weren’t any stones disturbed or strange symbols carved into the rocks. Maze wandered across the circle to one of the higher structures... and started climbing it.

“You said that this was a game of chess?” Maze called from the top, a picture of the original aerial view in her hand.  

“Yes.” 

Maze looked down at all of the erected rocks and imagined a chess board in front of her. The larger stones were the more important pieces, the smaller ones were pawns. “What piece would an angel be?” Maze wondered aloud. She looked again at the original picture, taking note of the one etched in blood.  

“A knight, maybe?” Lucifer caught on to what she was saying and looked around the landmark. It wouldn’t be the major structure of stones that connected together. That was clearly the king and queen. But the smaller connected stones off to the side were a possibility. 

Maze hopped from rock to rock. She stopped just above Lucifer and looked down from above, an evil smile forming on her dark red lips. Lucifer couldn’t see from the ground what she saw from above. Carved into the top of the dark gray slab was a classic five-pointed pentagram. “You realize, we’re going to have to dig up whatever is underneath.” 

Lucifer began to roll up his sleeves and grumbled. “Another suit destroyed. We’ll need to replace the stones right back where we found them.” He pointed up at Maze. “And I’ll need a manicure after all this is done. Dirt in every crevasse. What would the Detective think?” 

Maze smirked and jumped down. With a swift little shove of her black leather stiletto boot, the stones went crashing down like dominos. One went rolling down the hill. The two watched the pillar's rather long and tireless decent until it plopped to the ground one final time, wobbled a few times, and eventually stilled.

“You’re going after that one,” Lucifer mused and set to work. 

After an hour of digging by hand, Maze finally felt the thump of something solid. Breathless and covered in dirt, Maze hauled the giant box out of the ground. Something clanked inside. 

Lucifer’s eyes flashed red with excitement as he scraped off the remaining mud from the top of the box. The only insignia was a simple Christian cross. Of all the more interesting symbols they’d come across on this little journey, that one he wasn't expecting. 

Maze kneeled next to him and, with a little effort, the wood protesting and creaking into submission pried the box open. A long object, wrapped in cloth, laid before them. With care, Lucifer began to unwrap the parcel. His breath hitched as he realized what it was. Maze went to help him, but he grabbed her wrist before she could touch it. 

“Don’t touch it. Don’t ever touch it.” Lucifer gave her a warning stare and let go of her arm. 

“What is it?” Maze pulled back in fear. 

“It’s my blade,” Lucifer uttered, almost quiet enough for Maze to miss. 

“You’re blade? As in the sword you lost when you fell?” 

Lucifer nodded and continued to unwrap the weapon. It was older than time but looked brand new. An antique dealer would say it was a great replica. Not a scratch on it, no signs of rust or wear and tear. The blade reflected the dusking light's final shine and the coming stars splattering the navy blue sky above them. 

The crossguard and pommel of the sword were encrusted with rubies and diamonds as large as strawberries. The hilt was wrapped in soft brown leather, the grip formed for one hand and one hand alone.

The sword’s name was Aerianael. 

Maze was awed as she admired the impressive weapon. “It’s beautiful.” 

Lucifer sneered and got off his knees before plopping the sword back into the box and kicking the lid shut. He walked away, throwing a blunt, “clean up this mess,” to the demon. He didn’t look back as he trudged down the hill and across the paddock below.

 

After walking for what seemed like hours, Lucifer stopped in the middle of the English countryside. Not a soul graced the area, apart from some night birds and an occasional bat skittering across the now blackened sky. Out here, away from any city or even town, the light population was almost non-existent. Lucifer looked up at the stars, his masterpiece and gift to humanity. He reminisced for many a moment too long for his liking that night. Aerianael had brought up memories he tried for millennia to forget. 

She was more than just a sword. She was his paintbrush, the channel of his powers. Once, he had been Samael, the Lightbringer, the angel of art, and passion, and creativity. With a swift flick of his wrist and a little nudge of Aerianael, The Morningstar could raise mountains, form galaxies, create new colors, and sculpt matter to his will. It was the strongest of all heavenly weapons. Created by God for his favorite son. Lucifer’s wings were his connection to Heaven, but his sword was his connection to power and divinity. 

if Lucifer was honest with himself...he wasn’t sure he wanted that responsibility again. With his sword by his side, Lucifer could do just about anything short of growing his wings back, including he thought, kill Mammon. 

 

Lucifer wasn't surprised when, after finally arriving back at Stonehenge, he found Maze took their rental car back to the hotel. He steeled himself for the long and Hellishly  _ ponderous _ walk ahead of him. 

When Lucifer finally barged his way through the hotel doors as dawn closed in. Maze sat in the living room of their suite, her arms crossed and the giant muddy box thrown onto the table. If looks could speak, hers would be growling. “Thank you  _ so much _ for finally  _ gracing _ me with your presence.” 

“Not now, Mazie,” Lucifer stonewalled her. 

“What the fuck, Lucifer? You know it wasn’t easy putting those 25-tonne stones back where they belong.” 

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Yes, it was. Don’t be dramatic.” 

Maze pursed her lips further and narrowed her eyes at him, seeming to give in to the fact that, yes, it was quite easy. “Yea, well, I still had to drag this thing back by myself.” 

“Yes, about that. Sorry for storming off. It brought back some rather  _ uncomfortable _ memories I didn’t feel like sharing at the moment.” Lucifer averted his eyes for a single moment.

“Maze, meet Aerianael.” Lucifer bowed towards the wooden crate. 

“It has a name?” Maze replied, incredulously.

“Yes, she does. And you’ll do well to respect it. She can have quite the temperament when she wants to. Whatever you do, don't touch her. She was made to be wielded by me and me alone.” He warned. “Anyone else who so much as brushes against it with a feather will end up burnt to a crisp.” 

“Good to know.” Maze held a little more respect for the formidable weapon. “We still don’t have the chains and shackles. We’ll have to keep looking for them.” 

“No need.” Lucifer started to take off his dirt sodden clothing. “Change of plans. We’re not going to capture Mammon. We’re going to kill him.” He stripped the remainder of his clothing and walked into the bathroom. He couldn’t see the look of shock of Maze’s face at his proclamation. 

After a long, scalding hot shower, Lucifer walked out into the living room wearing a pair of silk pajama pants. His hair curled naturally as it dried, and his eyes were dark when he looked at the wooden crate. Maze wasn’t around, no doubt causing a pub fight at that very moment. 

Lucifer took a deep breath and opened the lid, revealing Aerianael. With a shaking hand, he hovered over the hilt of the sword. He wasn’t sure if she would remember him and if she did, what she would inflict if she held a multi-thousand-year grudge at his absence. 

Lucifer brushed the leather hilt with one fingertip and he felt a shock of electricity that made him quickly recede his hand. “Look, I know you’re upset with me,” he addressed her. “But we have bigger fish to fry than your feelings of neglect.” 

If anyone walked in on him, it would be an odd sight to see; a half-dressed man talking to a sword in a muddy box. He reached for the hilt again. No shock this time. He closed his fingers around the leather, the indents of years of use guiding him to the correct grip. Slowly, he lifted Aerianael out of the crumpled cloth and into the air. Lucifer felt a warmth course through his body that he hadn’t felt since before his fall. Aerianael vibrated in his hand, a happy puppy delighted to be reunited with her master. 

Lucifer closed his eyes and put his other hand parallel to the blade’s forte, feeling the heat pulse out of the shining metal. Without thought, Lucifer adjusted his stance and muscle memory took over. He parried and twirled, swinging Aerianael left then right. Like fighting an invisible enemy, Lucifer moved around the room with grace and speed, using his height to his advantage, shifting his weight from foot to foot. 

There was a shift in the air and Lucifer took one final swing, stopping mid-stride. Opening his eyes, he was face to face with Maze, Aerianael was a few inches from her neck. Lucifer moved the sword to his side and stood a little straighter. 

“I’ve never seen you move like that,” Maze commented. 

“After I lost her, I preferred hand to hand combat. No sword could ever compare to Aerianael.” Looking down at the weapon, he thought with intent, and she disappeared into the space between. With another thought, she appeared in his closed fist. 

Ignoring his new-found toy, Maze strutted to her bedroom. “Flight leaves in twelve hours. Need to get a little rest before we sit on a plane for eternity.” She slammed the door, leaving Lucifer to reunite with his old friend. 


	20. Chapter 20

The trip back to L.A was quick enough that Lucifer was at the precinct on Wednesday, latte in hand for the detective.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” Chloe asked, taking a sip from her cup.

“No, but we found something better.” Lucifer smiled. “Have you started to search the beaches yet?”

“Yea, we haven’t found anything yet. There’s no consistency in who the killer is targeting, other than that they live alone, so we can’t put a warning out to the public, but we are advising local beaches to close off caves and caverns just to be safe.”

The few days that Chloe had been apart from Lucifer had grounded her back to the real issue at hand, a psychotic serial killer.

Dan ran up to them, eyes wide, “There’s been another victim.”

Chloe frowned and sank a little. “He’s escalating.”

“Yea, but that’s not all. This one survived.”

Both Lucifer and Chloe snapped their heads towards Dan. “What? How?”

“The victim’s girlfriend stopped by late last night at his apartment, saw what was happening, and called the cops. He’s at St. Jude.

Chloe and Lucifer rushed to the hospital and found Jonathan Watts strapped to a bed in a private room, wriggling and straining against the restraints, gritting his teeth so hard they might crack

“What’s going on? Why is he strapped down?” Chloe asked the doctor, flashing her badge.

“He won’t stop trying to hurt himself.” The doctor said. “When he was brought in, he was tearing at his stomach, kept saying ‘ _Just a little taste_.’” He visibly shuddered.

Lucifer walked closer and peered down at the man squirming in his bed. Gashes lined his face, inflamed by very recent stitches. His blanket had twisted off his body to show bandages up his torso. Lucifer could smell the brimstone and see the faint aura of Mammon’s handy work still lingering.

Jonathan’s eyes flashed opened and stared directly at Lucifer. _“I knew you’d come Lightbringer. I’m going to eat your heart out as you watch.”_ A burst of maniacal laughter erupted from Jonathan’s throat. _“Then I’m going to unleash hell on this plane! All that you love, all that you care about will be mine!”_ Jonathan screamed the last parts. With blank eyes and bared teeth he started to laugh again, the high pitched shrill echoing through the small room. Just as quickly as it came his laughter ebbed, replaced by sputters and chokes. His blank glare dissipated into fear and Jonathan flatlined. A nurse pushed Lucifer aside to attempt to revive Jonathan.

Mammon was escalating all right.  It was the same threat as always. Lucifer wasn’t sure what Mammon’s fascination was with his heart, but he didn’t want to find out.

“He’s dead. He won’t be coming back.” Lucifer fiddled with the buttons on his suit, composing himself, before he left the room. He had to find Mammon. He could have seen Chloe in there.

Chloe jogged after Lucifer to catch up to him. “Hey! Wait a minute!” She snatched his elbow and yanked him around to face her. “What the hell was that?”

“Nothing. I’m fine, Detective.” He didn’t answer the question.

“I didn’t ask if you were ok! What aren’t you telling me?” Chloe almost yelled.

Lucifer shook his head. “I can’t.”

“That's bullshit.” Chloe shoved his shoulder. “What the hell is going on Lucifer? Jesus Christ, I knew you were hiding something!”

“One: yes that’s exactly what’s going on. And two, my half-brother has nothing to do with this.” Lucifer's temper rose. Hell’s gates were about to open to the earthly plane if Lucifer didn’t act now.

“Oh, come off it! You’re not the Devil! I’m tired of this. Tell. Me. Now.” Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and glared.

“No.” Lucifer looked deadpan into her eyes. She couldn't handle the truth of Mammon if she didn't even believe he was the Devil.

“You’re off the case. If you can’t tell me what you know, you’re a liability and you’re tampering with a police investigation.”

“Fine. I don’t want to be here anyway!” Lucifer turned and walked away from her. He needed to get as far away from her as possible. If Mammon showed up with Chloe around, she would be in danger, and he could actually die.

“God _damn_ you!”

Lucifer stopped dead in his tracks.

“He already has.”


	21. Chapter 21

When Chloe left the hospital, she half expected to see Lucifer leaning against her squad car. He wasn’t. She got into the driver's seat and slammed her door shut with so much force the car rocked a little. 

She set out to Jonathan's girlfriend's house, replaying her fight with Lucifer on an unending loop. After everything they had been through, he still didn’t trust her enough to tell her the truth. What was so important, she asked, that he would _still_ withhold information about a _serial killer_? She handled it (barely) when he projected his personal problems onto cases, but this time he could get people killed...or maybe he already has. 

Chloe slammed on her brakes just before she unconsciously ran through a red light and onto an intersection. She stilled for a pregnant moment, contemplating where her busy mind could have taken her; right in front of a semi. Chloe took a breath, and then two and three, a calming mechanism she had practiced from all the times Lucifer  _ lied to her _ -

Just breath, Decker...

She arrived at the addressed apartment building, thinking herself lucky she arrived at all given how many times her mind wandered back to Lucifer and his searing stare and  _ No! _ The girlfriend. Talk to the girlfriend.

Chloe knocked on the apartment door. A young girl answered. Her hair was up in a messy bun, eyes puffy and red, her lip quivering. “Hi, are you Jonathan Watt’s girlfriend?” Chloe asked in a soothing voice.

“Yes, Nancy.”

“Nancy, I’m Detective Chloe Decker. I have a couple of questions for you. Can I come in?”

The girl opened the door to let Chloe in and sat at her kitchen counter. “The hospital just told me he’s…” Nancy’s chest heaved. “Gone.” She blew her nose.

“I’m so sorry for your loss. Are you ok to talk?”

Nancy nodded and wiped at her eyes.

“Where did Jonathan go yesterday?”

“He... He went to work yesterday morning, same as usual. He had a rough day so he texted me that he was going fishing. He loved to fish. He has  _ \- had  _ a spot  he liked at Venice beach.”

Chloe took notes as Nancy talked. “When did you stop by to see him?”

“I came by around 10. I knocked on the door, but he didn’t answer. I figured he was in the shower or something. I have a key, so I came in.” Nancy’s eyes glazed over as she remembered the previous evening. “He was curled up in a ball on the kitchen floor and scratching at his face. I asked him what he was doing, and he said,  _ ‘Bring me the Lightbringer’s heart, just a taste’ _ . He sounded...  _ crazy!  _ I called 911. Before they got there, Jonathan started ripping off his shirt and was tearing into his own stomach. I screamed, and I tried to stop him, but he kept saying over and over  _ ‘Just a taste’ _ .” Her voice rose to a shrill. “He looked possessed!” 

Chloe didn’t know what to say as she finished taking notes. Nothing in her sensitivity training covered possession. “Thank you. If you think of anything else, please give me a call.”

They’re all self-inflicted. The killer had figured out a way to manipulate his victims into mutilating themselves to death. It had to be drugs or some psychological warfare. None of this made sense and none of it could be explained, and Chloe certainly was _not_ considering possession, at least that's what she told herself. One thing Chloe knew for certain, she had to go to Venice Beach.

 

\------

 

Lucifer rocketed down the coastline in his Corvette. Maze was strapped into the passenger seat, gripping the door tight as he took sharp turns and weaved in and out of traffic.

“Are you sure he’s going to be there?” Maze shouted above the wind whipping at their faces.

“He’s working his way up the coastline. The next major beach with a cave is Venice... It’s been less than a day since he possessed Jonathan so he hasn’t had time to scout out his next hole yet... He was taunting me, Mazikeen. He was daring me to find him. We have to end this  _ today _ .”

“Not that I want him around, but you should call Amenadiel. We could use the help.”

“I plan to.” Lucifer took the next exit for Venice and slammed on the gas.

When they got to the beach, Lucifer pointed towards the cave. “There it is.” Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, he raised his hands in prayer.

A gust of wind fluttered at Lucifer’s face.

“Have you got something?” Amenadiel asked, appearing a few meters away.

“Mammon is in here.”  Amenadiel spared a side glance to the cave. 

“He possessed a human and sent me a little message. He’s gaining power.” Lucifer called on Aerianael and felt the weight of her in his hand.

Amenadiel gawked. “When did she come back?”

“Maze and I found her at Stonehenge. No time for explanations. Come on, chop chop.”

They silently moved to the outside of the cave,  Maze and Amenadiel flanking behind to make sure no humans followed.

With a deep breath to silence his stammering heart, Lucifer nodded at his compatriots and turned the corner.

There were many things Lucifer would have expected to see. Mammon patiently waiting on a rock, bodies piled high, or even nothing at all. Chloe clutched in Mammon's grasp and held still by a short knife to her throat, tears streaking her face wasn’t one of them... 

Hell hadn’t been kind to Mammon over the years. His once magnificent brown wings were nothing more than a barbed and repulsive mess of unkempt feathers and splitting bone. Where bright blue eyes would have been, Mammon stared out of yellowed irises and deep purple bags hung under short lashes. He sneered with sharp fangs and grasped at Chloe with callused hands and claws covered in dried blood. 

Chloe struggled to get out of his grip, shaking with fear. “Lucife-“ Mammon slapped his hand over her mouth to shut her up, his dirtied nails gripping into her cheek and splitting her skin. Blood trickled down the side of her face.

“It’s about time. I was beginning to think you were too stupid to figure it out.” Mammon glared at Lucifer.

Lucifer crept forward, Aerianael held firmly in both hands, in front of him.

“Tsk, Tsk. Is this how to greet an old friend?” Mammon drawled, eyeing the sword.

“Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.” Amenadiel and Maze flanked Lucifer. Maze drew her demon blades and Amenadiel unfurled his wings.

“Oh, I beg to differ. You seem to have quite the interest in this little maggot of a human.” Mammon brushed his cracked lips against Chloe’s ear, whispering, “and for some reason, I can’t persuade her to do anything.” Chloe jerked and tried to get away, her eyes wide and pleading at Lucifer.

“This won’t end well, Mammon,” Amenadiel announced.

“What are you going to do about it? You pathetic little sheep. Still doing Daddy’s will?” Mammon snipped. “Here’s what you’re going to do.” Turning his attention back to Lucifer. “You’re going to put down the sword and push it over to me, along with the shackles, and walk out of this cave back to the alcohol-soaked club you call home, and I promise I’ll kill her quickly.” Mammon licked up the side of Chloe’s neck, leaving slime in its wake. Barely audible, Chloe groaned with disgust.

Anger surged inside of Lucifer causing his eyes to go red. “Do that again and I’ll rip that tongue right out of your mouth!” Lucifer gripped Aerianael tighter, her powers surging through him.

Maze leaped from her spot, drawing Mammon’s attention. It was only a split second and it gave Lucifer the opening he was looking for, but Mammon saw it too. With a sweep of his wing, Mammon threw Maze against one side of the cave,  and at the same time, cast Chloe to the other side. She went crashing down to the ground unconscious. Blood started to seep from her forehead... Lucifer tackled Mammon down onto the sand and with a heavy thump. 

Mammon kicked Lucifer off of him and scrambled to his feet. Righting his wings, he flapped himself into the air. Lucifer only had enough time to blink before he saw a large black form tumble into Mammon. With a heavy fist, Mammon punched Amenadiel out cold and the dark angel fell in a pile of dark feathers.

Lucifer stood up and held Aerianael in front of him, calling on her powers. A bit rusty at aim, the lighting bolt missed Mammon by a few feet.

“Now, now. Play fair.” The winged angel dove and barrelled into Lucifer, propelling them out onto the beach in the sunlight. Unable to pick himself up in time, Mammon grabbed and held Lucifer’s sword hand down and sat on Lucifer’s chest. Lucifer tried to throw a right hook, but Mammon stopped his motion in mid-air and slammed the fist into the sand.

“You’ve gotten rusty in your retirement, brother.” Mammon’s face inches just away, Lucifer smelled decayed flesh and rotting meat on his breath. “A few years out of Hell and you’re already so easy to beat.”

Lucifer growled and let his true face show. “We’ll see about that.” In a final attempt, Lucifer head-butted Mammon. It didn’t work in his favor, only made him dizzy. Chloe was too close.

“Is that all? I remember when you used to be able to fight off ten demons at once. You’ve grown soft.” Mammon gave a feigned look of concern. “Hell deserves better than this. Now, where are the chains?”

“Who let you out of your cage?” Lucifer asked.

“That’s none of your concern. They’ll be awarded appropriately, no need to worry. Now, do you remember London? I made quite a few mistakes then. I hadn’t quite homed in on my powers of persuasion. I think I fixed that this time. And with how lazy humans seem today, I don’t think I’ll have any trouble convincing them to worship me, do you?”

“I’ll make sure the wrath of Heaven comes down on you If it’s the last thing I do!” At this point, all Lucifer could do is keep Mammon talking in the hopes that either Amenadiel or Maze would wake up soon.

“Oh, that’s quite a threat for someone who doesn’t have his wings nor the support of daddy-dearest. But enough chit-chat, I have an apocalypse to plan and a Spear of Destiny to find. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you? No, I suppose not. It took you weeks to track down those God-forsaken chains. Now, where are they?”

“Is that the plan? Find the Spear?” Lucifer tried to laugh, ignoring Mammon’s demands for the chains he didn’t have. “It’s useless. It doesn’t do anything.”

“No, no.” Mammon licked his long tongue across the front of his fangs. “The Spear will open up Hell’s Gates. With millions of tortured little souls to do my bidding, I’ll take over the earth and then Heaven.”

“It’ll never work. Our brothers and sisters won’t let you.” 

“Once the gate is open, it won’t matter. I’ll have thousands of demons loyal to the new King of Hell. Every little sniveling, brown-nosing angel will die if I have a say. Pity you won’t be around to see it.” He turned and looked at the blade still clutched in Lucifer’s hand. “Oh, the irony.”

Mammon clutched Lucifer’s wrist in his hand and drove the blade through Lucifer’s stomach and into the ground beneath. Lucifer screamed out as the metal plunged through his chest. Almost blacking out from the sheer force of it, Lucifer rolled his eyes back and with a howl, his body instinctively tried to remove the sharpened blade from inside him. Mammon pushed the sword down further and twisted, completely impaling the fallen angel beneath him.

“Now stay.” Mammon smiled wickedly on top of Lucifer’s chest, his wings flapping behind him. “You know, we could have ruled together but you’re just too much like Dad. This misguided sense of justice coursing through your veins stinks.”

Lucifer gargled, blood filling his mouth, teeth staining red. “I won’t let you get away with this.”

“Oh really? Because I noticed with that little human around, you have the misfortune of becoming, what is it? Oh yes, mortal.” Mammon twisted the blade again in Lucifer’s chest, causing the Devil to scream out in pain as the metal grated against bone. 

“Don’t worry about her though. I think I’ll keep her. I’m in need of a vessel for my unborn children and who am I to deny a woman unconscious and willing?”

The thought of Mammon’s sick and twisted body going anywhere near Chloe made Lucifer’s stomach flip. He did the only thing he could, he spat in Mammon’s face.

Mammon startled and then grinned. He licked at the side of his own face, tasting Lucifer’s blood. “Mm, just the taste has me excited to eat your heart out. I think I’ll wait until you’re back in hell though, so all of my constituents can watch.”

Mammon rose off Lucifer’s chest and walked back toward the cave. With the twisted monster off of him, Lucifer took a full breath of air and thought better of it. His lungs were on fire. Lucifer watched as Mammon picked up Chloe in his arms.

Lucifer gripped the hilt of Aerianael and tried to pull. He leaned over and scratched at the sand, trying to get closer to her. “Chloe! Noooo!” With one final toothy grin that exposed his disgusting teeth, Mammon winked at Lucifer and then they were gone, in a flash of dirtied brown feathers.

Amenadiel was still out. Maze was bleeding on the far side of the cave. And Lucifer couldn’t get his blade out of his stomach. With Chloe gone, he should have been able to remove Aerianael. He tried again and again, but blood was seeping out of him into the sand too fast. He was feeling light-headed and his grip was weak. With each strain, Lucifer caused more damage to his already gaping wound.

He had failed Chloe. He had worked so hard to keep her out of all of it and in the end, he couldn’t save her. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes and he gritted his teeth. 

With one last jerk, Lucifer pushed at Aerianael to no avail. The blood on his hands was too slippery. Sharp jabs of pain shot through his stomach and down his legs. The sword impaled him through his chest and with every twist and struggle, he severed more nerves. He tried to lift himself up but with a twitch, he lacerated his spinal cord. Falling down, paralyzed, he clenched his eyes closed and saw only Chloe’s scared face. He couldn’t let this happen to her. Darkness was creeping in around him. His fingers tingled with blood loss. His breath was shallow and labored. Exhaustion overtook him.

It wasn’t just Chloe though. It was Trixie, and Dan, Linda, and Ella. He lost everything. He underestimated his opponent and lost his home and his life. Lucifer looked up into the blue sky, soft wispy clouds lazily drifting past. This was it. The end of the road for him. He’d be sent back to hell and to his own hell loop, never to hear Chloe’s laugh again, or taste a fresh glass of whiskey, or feel Trixie’s mostly unwanted hugs.

Staring up at the azure sky, Lucifer did the very last thing he ever wanted to do. 

“I know the only time I ever ask for your help is when I’m bleeding out.” He scoffed and swallowed down bile and blood, nausea swimming in his stomach. “But here I am. I need your help again, Dad. Chloe needs your help. Please.” Tears streamed down the side of his head and he let out a forced sob. Chloe was all that mattered. “If Hell is where you want me, I’ll go. Just protect her. Save her.”

Lucifer began to convulse, choking on his own blood. His eyes widened and he muffled out a cry. Lucifer let out a final strenuous breath and stilled, his hands falling to his sides and the light in his eyes faded.  

The birds overhead sung, the light breeze whispered past, and the waves rolled onto the shore. The last thoughts Lucifer had were of her smile, her deep turquoise eyes, and her laugh. His eyes fluttered close... 

Then, they flew open, Lucifer howling out in agony, pulled his legs up to his chest. The sword appeared at his side and his saw stars. Normally, healing didn’t hurt this much. It was usually just a tingling sensation, like when your leg falls asleep. This was different. Lucifer rolled to his side and felt his back split open, sweat started to bead at his forehead and he gritted his teeth so hard, he felt a molar crack.

With a whoosh, giant blood-stained wings grew out of Lucifer. Breathing heavily, he fluttered them once, feeling them ache, and twice more, getting used to the heavy feathers at his back. The last thing Lucifer heard before he blacked out were the frantic cries of his brothers and sisters from heaven in his head and a warmth that washed over him.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the last chapter was a little intense. Sit in the fluff for a minute.

Lucifer woke with a start, plagued by nightmares of Chloe’s lifeless body being carried in Mammon’s arms. He turned his face into something soft, and Lucifer smelled Chloe’s perfume. He opened his eyes and realized he was on her couch, facing the back. He grumbled and moved his body, gauging what was healed and what needed more time. He turned his head to look over his shoulder out into the living room and came nose to nose with two big, brown eyes.

“I knew you were special,” Trixie whispered loudly, a look of smug glee all over her face.

Lucifer blinked a couple of times. “Would you mind terribly backing up just a smidge?” He raised his eyebrows at her.

Trixie sat up and giggled. “Can you take me flying?”

“I beg your pardon?” Lucifer rubbed at his eyes.

“Can you fly me to school? That would be so cool!” Trixie wiggled on the coffee table.

Lucifer stilled, and reality came crashing down on him. His wings. He flexed his back and felt the wings move. He sat up quickly, the blood rushing from his head causing him to feel nauseated and he swayed a little before steadying. He touched his stomach; the gaping hole was gone. He looked around the room and saw Aerianael peaking out from under Maze’s leather jacket.

He turned his attention to the little girl sitting in front of him again. “Where’s Maze?”

“She said she had to go hunting and to watch after you. She also said to call her when you wake up.”

Lucifer’s head pounded and pressed his fingers to his temples, squeezing his eyes shut.  _ You’ll find her. We know you will.  _ “No.” What was that whispering? 

“She seemed pretty scared. You should call her.” Trixie said.

“No –”  _ You prayed and father answered. _ Lucifer shook his head and squinted his eyes open at Trixie, “I mean, no I’m not going to fly you to school child. I’m not a bloody carrier pigeon.” 

_ Amenadiel is searching, but he can’t find them.  _ He stilled. Voices of angels, that’s what they were. His brothers and sisters were praying to him. Lucifer smirked. It had been millennia since he had heard the constant chatter of prayers and angelic murmurs. He forgot the comradery that came with hearing his brothers and sisters voices.  _ We’re here for you when you need us.  _

Lucifer shook his head.  _ No. You left me. You abandoned me. I don’t believe you.  _

_ We all make mistakes.  _ Lucifer heard the distinct voice of his favorite little brother, Gabriel. 

Closing his eyes and with a little effort, he pushed the whispers to the back of his mind and just like riding a bicycle, learned to ignore it once again until it was needed. 

Opening his eyes, Lucifer stood up and rolled his back, making the wings disappear.

“Wow!” Trixie’s eyes went wide, and her mouth hung open.

“Close your mouth.” Lucifer pulled out his phone from his pocket. 

Trixie shut it with a bite. “Where’s mommy?”

Lucifer’s eyebrows wrinkled together. “I’m not sure.” His mind flashed to her pleading look. “I promise you this though. I will find your mom and I will bring her back.” He held the phone up to his head as it rang. No answer. Maze was probably out hunting Mammon.

“I’m hungry.”

“Aren’t you old enough to feed yourself?” Lucifer asked flustered at the idea of being in a house with a child and no adult supervision.

Trixie’s eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip began to tremble. Lucifer rolled his eyes and sat back down on the couch in front of Trixie.

“It’ll be alright, spawn.” He patted Trixie’s head.

This was apparently the cue for her to throw herself into Lucifer’s arms.

“Ahh!” Lucifer held his hands up as if she would burn him. He would miss this why, again? Trixie sniffled and when it appeared that she wasn’t going to maul him, he placed his hands on her back and returned the child’s embrace. She didn’t seem to mind that there was a giant blood stain on the front of his white dress shirt.

She wasn’t that bad after all. Trixie was a tenacious child with a thirst for knowledge and an unmatched sense of kindness. Lucifer sighed. He had grown rather fond of the little thing. Thinking about what Mammon would do to Trixie if he found her, Lucifer vowed to himself that he would do anything to protect the child. He knew Chloe was strong and could survive so much. She already had. But Trixie was too small and too vulnerable. He had to protect her too. And until he had Chloe back in his arms, Trixie was the next best thing. He pulled her in tighter.

“Let’s make you some dinner, hmm?” Lucifer said to the side of Trixie’s head.

He felt a little nod and sniffle on his shirt. He thought that would be a sign for her to get off of him, but she just clutched his shirt in her fists.

“Ok then.” With no effort at all, Lucifer stood with the girl in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he walked into the kitchen.  Opening up the refrigerator, he asked “Grilled cheese?” A shake of her head. “Macaroni and cheese?” Another shake. “Cheese pizza? My dad, how much dairy do you need?”

Trixie giggled, and Lucifer smiled.

“How about some stir fry? No cheese.”

Trixie leaned up, wiped her eyes, and nodded. “That sounds good.”

"Good.” Lucifer began to pull out the necessary ingredients. Knowing Maze would come back as soon as she had seen that he had called, he pulled out enough for her too. “Do you want to help?” Lucifer asked.

Trixie shook her head. 

“Ok.” He moved around the kitchen easily, working with one hand and holding Trixie with the other. The little girl relaxed in his arms and he began to sing as he cooked.

 

_ “Mornie utulie, _

_ Believe and you will find your way, _

_ Mornie alantie, _

_ A promise lives within you now.” _

 

Trixie drifted in and out of sleep in Lucifer’s arms. He never moved her or felt the strain of her weight. She was safe with him and her breathing evened out. Lucifer continued to hum as he sautéed the vegetables and stirred the rice.

Maze walked through the door and Lucifer put a finger up to his lips, eyeing the sleeping child in his arms. Maze grinned at the sight of the two of them. How very domestic.

“He’s not in any of the caves within a 50 mile stretch of the coastline. We checked them all. There’s no sign of him,” Maze whispered.

“I expected as much. He’ll choose someplace else this time, we should start looking in the desert, someplace cold, wet, and dark.” Lucifer pulled a plate down from the cabinet next to the stove and filled it with food. Handing it to Maze, he did a quick once over of the demon. “Are you ok?”

Maze rolled her jaw. “No. He’s got our human.”

“We’ll find her.” Lucifer rubbed Trixie’s back, both for her comfort and his.

Lucifer filled up two more plates, handing another to Maze and taking his own into the dining area. Sitting down, he rubbed Trixie’s back a little faster, waking her.

“Are you hungry?” Lucifer asked.

Trixie nodded, rubbed her eyes, and turned to Maze. “Have you found mommy?”

“Not yet, little demon.” Maze shoved food in her mouth, starving from the day’s events.

Trixie didn’t move from Lucifer’s lap and pulled her plate close to her, taking small bites. Her eyes and nose were red and puffy.

They sat in silence and ate. 

When Maze had finished, she walked back towards the front door. “Don’t worry, little one.” Maze glanced back at Trixie before exiting.

Lucifer rubbed Trixie’s back. “Go take a shower. It’ll make you feel better. I’m going to clean up and then we’ll watch whatever torture inspired princess movie you want.”

Trixie smiled a little and finally leaped off of Lucifer’s lap.

After the kitchen was clean and Trixie was fresh in a pair of pale pink pajamas, Lucifer stood by the front door. “I’m going to go back to my apartment right quick. I need to get out of these clothes.” He pulled at the shirt, looking down at the bloody cloth. He saw Trixie’s bottom lip begin to tremble again from the couch.

“I’ll be back in 10 minutes, tops.” He reassured her. “Ok?”

Trixie nodded and snuggled into the corner of the couch, clutching a pillow to herself.

Lucifer rolled his back and the wings appeared. Thinking about his penthouse, Lucifer pushed up from the ground and disappeared from Trixie’s sight. 

Moments later, he touched back down in his dark home. It had been years since he felt that, the rush of teleporting from one place to another. He forgot how much he missed it. 

Shaking his head, he went back to his bathroom. Showering quickly, Lucifer looked in his closet for something child appropriate. He begrudgingly picked up a pair of track pants (at least they were Versace). He threw on a white undershirt and Gucci house slippers, then packed an overnight bag with a fresh suit and shoes before teleporting back to Chloe’s house.

Trixie hadn’t moved and kept her eyes trained on where Lucifer had disappeared. He placed his overnight bag behind the couch and sat next to her. The moment he did, Trixie climbed up into his lap. He settled himself comfortably laying down, the small child curled up on top of him.

“What are we watching?” Lucifer asked.

“Frozen.”

Lucifer was pretty sure his ears would bleed by the end of the movie but didn’t say anything. Before Elsa got a chance at her big solo, Trixie had fallen asleep.


	23. Chapter 23

Chloe opened her eyes to pitch black darkness. She didn’t move.  Water dripped somewhere in the distance. She lay on a hard, smooth slab of rock... 

She assessed her body for injuries, flexed her muscles slowly, imperceptibly.  The skin on her wrists grated against harsh rope cord pulled tight. Her hands were tied behind her back. As she wiggled her feet, she found her ankles tied too. Being bound was nothing Chloe hadn't dealt with before. Neither was the pounding in her head, however much it made her thoughts bleed together like congealed jelly. Something had dried into her lip and she stuck her tongue out to taste it. Blood, surely hers, surely coming from whatever is making her headache so terrible. 

She searched with her eyes without moving her head but didn’t see anything past the sheer and utter nothingness around her. She didn’t know how much time had passed. She thought back.

She had gone to Venice beach in search of clues for Jonathan’s death. She didn’t know what she’d find. Slowly turning the corner to the cave, she had come face to face with a...man? sitting on a rock, picking at his nails and looking bored. No, not nails. 

Claws.

“LAPD. What are you doing here?” Chloe reached for the gun at her side. 

“Well, that’s interesting. You found me before Lucifer did. You humans are smarter than I thought.” 

Whatever he was, Chloe knew he wasn’t human. His hair was matted with dirt. His eyes were yellow on his hollowed face. She looked him up and down. He was dressed in what looked like a white linen suit, although it didn’t fit him. The hems of his pants were muddied and frayed over his scratched and mutilated feet. He looked relaxed, picking at dried blood under his talons. 

Then she looked behind him. There were giant unkempt wings with bones sticking out at every angle, mangled feathers poking out over each other. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

“I repeat, what are you doing here?” Chloe reiterated, trying for the life of her to keep the tremble out of her voice. She unholstered her gun and pointed it at the monster.

“Waiting for you, of course. Terribly sorry, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Mammon.” With a malicious smile, Mammon exposed sharp fangs from his crusted lips.

Chloe gasped and clenched her gun a little tighter. “Don’t move!”

“Now now. You know deep down in your heart that that silly little toy of yours won’t work on me.” Mammon stood gracefully and slowly snaked towards Chloe, his beady eyes focused on her.

Chloe aimed her gun at Mammon’s knee and fired. The loud bang caused a flurry of bats to fly out of the small cave, the sound of wings and animal shrieks above her head sending shivers up her spine. 

Mammon stopped mid-stride and looked down. “That was rude. This is a new suit.”

Chloe blinked, and Mammon was behind her, wrapping his arms around hers and clutching her throat. “If you weren’t so useful to me, I’d dismember you right now.”

Chloe began to scream, but Mammon quickly slapped his hand over her mouth, his foul, blood-caked hand. 

“No need to shout. No one will hear you.” He whispered into her ear. Chloe could smell putrefied flesh on his breath. “Now, be a good little human and behave yourself. Lucifer should be here soon.”

Chloe did the only thing she could. She bit down on Mammon’s hand, hard, hoping he’d remove it and she could yell for help. She tried not to think about the taste of sweat, blood, and dirt that filled her mouth. Mammon released her with a growl and Chloe fell to the ground. 

Scrambling to her feet, she tried to run for the beach, but Mammon was too fast. He grabbed her by her hair and yanked her back into his chest. She yelped as pain spread over her scalp, and a headache begun to cultivate... 

He slapped one of his claws onto her face again to prevent her from screaming and wrapped his other arm around her arms and chest, lifting her off the ground. Chloe attempted to kick him, but he was too strong. Mammon’s grip on her face tightened and she stilled at the sudden pang of his claws digging into her cheek. 

Breathless, Mammon whispered. “Naughty little thing, aren’t you? Don’t worry, Darling. We’ll have all the time in the world to play later.” His nose nuzzled at her ear and Chloe felt bile in her throat. “Now, behave. Or I’ll snap your neck like a twig.” He set her back on the ground but didn’t release her. “Move towards the back of the cave.” 

Chloe didn’t move. She knew the farther back she went, the less likely she’d survive.

“I said, walk back into the cave.” Mammon bit out a little more forcefully.

Again, Chloe didn’t move.

“Well that’s even more interesting, isn’t it? I can’t persuade you to do anything.” Mammon questioned behind her. “Well, luckily, you’re just one little human.” Mammon picked her up by her waist and walked her deeper into the cavern.

Chloe kicked and struggled to no avail. Mammon was too strong for her. When he had placed her down, facing out to the ocean, he removed a small knife from his side and pressed it to her throat. “I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth but make one little sound, and I’ll slit your throat and drink your blood.”

He removed his hand and Chloe licked her lips, not making a sound.

“Hmm, pity.  _ I’m rather thirsty _ .” 

Blinking back to the present, Chloe swallowed hard against the memory.  Those were wings. Had Lucifer been telling her the truth the whole time? Seriously, wings? Lucifer had a giant sword and she swore she saw his eyes flash red like fire. Did she see that Amenadiel had wings too? His were different than Mammon’s, dark gray and…glowy. Mammon had thrown her into the cave wall the same way Lucifer had thrown that agent through glass. There had to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. She probably hit her head too hard. Yea, that was it. 

She knew that Lucifer would be looking for her though, assuming he was still-. No. She wasn’t going to go there. He was alive, and he was looking for her. She shook her head a couple of times to get the thoughts out. That was a mistake. Her head pounded hard and she inadvertently let out a low groan. 

She heard a deep masculine voice and it sent shivers up her spine. “Awake yet?”

Chloe couldn’t hide it now. She turned her head towards the voice but didn’t say anything. All she could see was a faint outline, but she knew it was Mammon.

“Come now. You must have questions. I don’t have a knife to that luscious little neck of yours anymore. Please, ask away.”

Chloe turned her head back down to the ground.  _ Fuck you _ , she growled in her mind.

“Well, it’s been years since I’ve had company to spend the night with. All those other little maggots were too...whiny. They deserved to die.” Chloe could hear the smirk in his voice. “So, if it’s all the same to you, I’ll just go ahead and talk.” She felt a hand slide up her thigh and she kicked out into the dark.

“Don’t touch me.” Chloe tried to scoot away.

“Feisty little one, aren’t we? No wonder Lucifer likes you. Bit of a twit if you ask me. You don’t see anything in him, do you?”

The voice inched closer to Chloe, she swallowed hard when she felt fingertips brush her arm, jerking away.

“Did he ever tell you what he did to me?” Mammon asked.

Chloe couldn’t help herself. “Whatever it was, I’m sure you deserved it.”

“If you don’t start acting nicer, I’m going to bite off a finger for every little quip you make.”

Mammon grabbed at Chloe’s tied hands, sending her down until her chest hit the ground with a thud. She gasped in air, a tiny whimper on her tongue, as Mammon forced a finger in his mouth and suckled. His sharp fangs pricked against her skin

“Now, where was I?” He mused, the sound muffled by her extremity. Chloe tried to take her hands back, but he held on with a death grip. Taking her finger out of his muzzle, he stroked her hands up and down his crusty face. She tried not to think about what could be flaking off of his cheeks. 

“Oh yes, the greatest betrayal of all time. You see, Lucifer was our father’s favorite son. He got the best gifts, including that beautiful sword you saw earlier. Although I doubt he thinks it’s so great now. It did just send him back to Hell.”

Chloe's body found a point where her tension was so great she stilled. Hot tears began the long track down her face. No. Not Lucifer. He couldn’t be. He just couldn't.

“Anyway, Lucifer – well at the time he was Samael – was beloved over everyone else. The archangels in general were. Us lowly little bottom dwelling angels never even got the time of day from Daddy-Dearest. I was given stupid, little assignments to follow.  _ Persuade the humans to worship me, _ Dad said. It’s not like it’s hard work. It’s boring and monotonous. I couldn’t take it anymore. Then Lucifer rebelled. I had my chance to claim Heaven. I joined with him and agreed to follow him. All Lucifer wanted was the freedom to do what he wanted. If he wanted that, he should have just taken a demotion and done my job, but no. He had to go and throw a little temper tantrum. And I got caught in the crosshairs. And do you know who’s fault it is?”

Chloe didn’t say anything. Her mind reeled.

“Yours,” Mammon whispered into Chloe’s ear and she tried to jerk away. His hot breath left moisture on her neck. “If it hadn’t been for humanity and your ridiculous notion of free will, I would be ruling Heaven right now.”

One thing Chloe knew for certain, Mammon was insane. She knew a one-sided story when she heard one. The other thing she knew for certain was that Lucifer wasn’t evil, Mammon was. How Lucifer could ever think of himself as a monster when the…thing squatting next to her was clearly deranged, dangerous, and psychotic.

Mammon sighed. “Now, I can’t have you dying of dehydration on me, so I suppose I should go and find you water. Until I can locate the Spear of Destiny, you’re stuck here. I wouldn’t try to find my way out if I were you. You’ll end up in a far worse position.” Mammon released Chloe’s arms and she could hear movement like he was standing. “Nighty-night little maggot.” The last thing she heard was a rustling of feathers and a gust of wind.

The shock took far longer to recover from than any she'd had before. She took breath after breath, small at first until she was heaving in air as if she'd been underwater for hours. Eventually, she willed saliva to spill into her mouth again, and forced her body to cease shaking. She got herself under control, dissociated her reactions as a good little detective does. 

Her mind was then blank of everything except her immediate situation: face down on her the floor. She hiked her legs up under herself and managed, with a great deal of squirming, to push herself back up to sitting. She tested the ropes again, hoping for some slack. Lady Luck had other things to do that day. The ropes didn't budge. She fell back against the wall.

Chloe closed her eyes to prevent any tears from falling. No. She couldn’t fall apart. Not now. She had to come up with a plan. Mammon had a knife. If she can figure out a way to get it when he comes back, she could get free. 

She was too deep in whatever cave Mammon had dropped them in for her to get any sense of direction, but she felt a slight incline to her left. It was as good a bet as any. She’d just have to wait for him to return and for her eyes to adjust more and she would get out of here. Come hell or high water, she would see her daughter again. She would put this asshat behind bars and she would find Lucifer and figure out what the hell is going on. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are going to get worse before they get better for our lovers, stay in this fluff a little bit longer...

Lucifer woke with a start the next morning. The light shone through the windows and birds chirped away. The weather didn’t match the ominous feeling in his gut. He had more nightmares about Chloe. 

There was something heavy on his chest and he looked down to see Trixie hadn’t moved a bit. Sleeping on Chloe’s couch had been a mistake, his neck was sore.

He rubbed Trixie’s back to wake her up.“Good morning, Spawn. It’s time to wake up.”

A loud groan of protest emitted from the tiny human’s mouth.

“Are you sure you’re not a demon?” Lucifer gawked. “Come on, up up. I have to go searching for your mother and I can’t do that until I have you safely off to school.”

Trixie begrudgingly got up from Lucifer’s chest, yawned, and wiped at her eyes. “Daddy’s taking me to school today.”

“Oh good. One less thing I have to worry about. Now, off you pop to your room. I don’t want any trouble this morning. The sooner you get ready, the sooner I can find the Detective.”

When Trixie bounced to her room, Lucifer changed into the suit he had packed and went into the kitchen to make them breakfast. If he had more time, a full English would have been nice, but they’d have to settle for some quick scrambled eggs and bacon.

As Trixie sat down to eat, Dan walked through the door. “Hey, Lucifer. Where’s Chloe?” Dan was used to seeing Lucifer at Chloe’s house so early in the morning.

“Daddy!” Trixie mumbled with a full bite of eggs in her mouth and rushed up to give him a big hug.

“I’m not sure,” Lucifer responded, polishing off his breakfast.

“What do you mean, you’re not sure?” Dan patted at Trixie’s head.

“Well…there was a minor incident yesterday. Not to worry. We’ll have her back quick as we can.”

“Minor incident? We? What the Hell is going on, Lucifer?” Dan's concern grew.

“Mommy’s missing.” Trixie looked up at her dad.

“What?!” Dan let go of Trixie and stalked over to Lucifer. “What the Hell, Man?”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “We’ll find her.” His demeanor didn't indicate that he was worried at all, but deep down Lucifer was terrified. He couldn’t lose her.

“Who’s we?” Dan raised his hands to the side of his head in frustration.

“Maze, Amenadiel, and I.”

“What happened?!”

“She went looking for the killer yesterday on her own. We had a little…tiff.”

“You can’t do that, Man. You have to be her partner. So, what? You just stormed off and let her go out on her own? You know how stubborn she can be about this stuff. You know what, I knew from the moment we met that you were going to get her killed!” Dan's voice rose until he yelled his last point.  
Lucifer’s anger flared, his eyes went red, and he grabbed Dan’s throat. “Don’t.” Not that he already wasn’t, but he’d be damned if he let anything bad happen to Chloe.

Dan’s eyes widened and he struggled in Lucifer’s tight grip. Lucifer regained his composure, let go of Sir Douche and adjusted his suit jacket. 

“I’m going to have to call this in,” Dan said, a little more in control. “Where do you think the killer took her?”

“Maze is out hunting him right now. I imagine she’ll be home soon with an update.”

On cue, the door swung open with a bang and Maze entered.

“I can’t find them anywhere.” Maze, the best hunter on earth, couldn’t pick up Mammon’s scent. “He must have teleported them somewhere farther away than I can sense.”

“Teleported?” Dan floundered.

Lucifer waved it off. “Have you heard from Amenadiel?”

“No. He was checking the sand dunes in Yuma last time I heard from him.”

Dan shook his head. “Come on, Trixie. I have to get you to school.” He turned and pointed to Lucifer. “Stay out of the way. The LAPD will handle this from here on out and I don’t want to see your face at the precinct.”

Lucifer didn’t have time for Dan’s melodramatics. “Whatever you say, Detective Douche.”

Trixie and Dan left, leaving Lucifer and Maze to discuss their next course of action.

Lucifer called on Amenadiel and within seconds, the black angel had come.

“Have you found anything?” Lucifer asked.

“No. I’ve searched the southern part of Arizona and haven’t had any luck.”

“You’re searching in the wrong areas. He wouldn’t pick someplace hot. He’d go someplace dark, and damp, and cold. He’s had enough fire and heat.” Lucifer paced the house.

“I’ll start looking up the coastline again,” Maze said.

“I’ll head towards the northern side of California,” Amenadiel said.

“Meet back here at dusk.” Lucifer pointed at them. “I’m going to start looking more inland, towards Nevada.” He picked up Aerianael and made her disappear into the spaces between. He needed easy access to her.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for! Please don't hate me :)

With nothing but her thoughts to keep her occupied, Chloe was sure she was going insane. Bored, thirsty, and sore, she continued to try to wrangle her way out of the ropes tied around her to no avail. 

Her eyes had adjusted to the dark and she found herself in a large opening. It was cold and damp, the air a little thinner. They were high up on a mountain somewhere. She had no idea how he had managed to transport her so quickly and so far away.

Any movement she made echoed off the walls. Above her, bats hung upside down, sleeping on long stalactites, undisturbed by her presence. Water dripped around her in uneven increments,  _ plop plop _ reverberating, again and again, an unholy, amplified cacophony coming at her from all directions, a special form of water torture of its own.  

The only thing that kept her mind going was Trixie. She had to survive to get back to her daughter. If Lucifer really was dead, then she had to hope that Dan at least was searching for her. She had no sense of time, but she guessed a day had passed based on her growling stomach.

A weight appeared next to her and she heard the rustling of feathers again. Tensing, she prepared for Mammon’s continued torture.

“Thirsty?” The dark figure asked her.

She was dying for water, but she couldn’t accept it. She shook her head. He could have poisoned it with something, either to kill her or to drug her.

“Maybe I was unclear…” Mammon grabbed her chin and squished his talons into either side of her lips. She struggled in his grasp but he opened her mouth enough to shove the top of a bottle past her teeth... He poured cold water down her throat and she choked on the liquid. He kept going, the cold wet spilling down her front. She sputtered until the bottle was empty. It didn’t taste different than any water she’d ever had, but she still tried to spit out as much as she could.

“There’s a good pet.” Mammon released her, and she fell to her side, coughing.

“I’m getting close. I can feel it. With the Spear in my grasp, I’ll be able to unleash the bowels of Hell and with you by my side, I’ll conquer the world!”

“Why me?” Chloe rasped when she was able to speak.

“To punish Lucifer, of course. He stuck me in a cage for thousands of years. The least I could do is take the one human he cares about to return the hospitality he so graciously bestowed upon me.”

Mammon leaned in close to Chloe. It may have been dark enough that Chloe didn’t have to see his unholy eyes or wretched smile, but he smelled like sweat and blood and other,  _ nastier _ things. Her stomach turned. She leaned away from his rotting stench.

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to wait much longer to get a taste of you.” Mammon placed his hand on Chloe’s knee and she squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her legs together.

“No,” she whimpered. “Please stop.” Her voice trembled.

“What? No fight left in you? You can’t be that easy to break.” Mammon’s hand inched up her thigh, closer and closer to exactly where Chloe did not want it. He began to stroke in between her legs.

Chloe never had faith. She was a strong believer in seeing the truth and knowing there was a logical explanation for everything, but at that moment, with no one around to hear her scream and no help in sight, she was at her last resort. She prayed. “Please, Dear God, Lucifer help me!”

Mammon’s hand reached the button on Chloe's jeans and he promptly tore it off and started scratching at her zipper. Tears streamed out of her tightly shut eyes. 

She wasn’t expecting a response, but seconds later, a bright white light appeared in front of her. Keeping her eyes shut, she felt Mammon’s hands leave her body.

She squinted her eyes open and a large glowing white blur was right in front of her face.

“Chloe! Are you alright?” The blur spoke. Her pupils constricted enough to make out deep brown eyes.

“Lucifer?” She uttered in reverence. He  _ was _ an angel. His pearlescent wings glowed a bright white, highlighting his handsome features. Lucifer was an angel. He told the truth the whole time.

He didn’t have time to respond as Mammon picked him up and threw him into the air. Lucifer's wings flailed, making a thousand micro-adjustments to right himself in flight. He swiftly dove down and slammed into  Mammon, pushing him to the ground. Pinning him down, Lucifer punched Mammon’s face, once, twice, with all his celestial might. A loud crack shot out in the cavern from the force of fist cracking bone.

Mammon unfurled his wings and smacked Lucifer on either side of his body, causing him to lose his focus and stumble backward.

Both angels quickly righted themselves and began to circle one another like lions sizing each other up.

“Where have you been hiding those wings, Samael?” Mammon taunted, using the name he knew Lucifer hated. Mammon rolled his shoulders and brought his fists up to his face in defense.  “I can’t wait to hang them above my throne.”

Lucifer called upon Aerianael and the metal gleamed in his glowing light.  “Enough chit chat.” 

Lucifer lunged towards Mammon, sword raised high. The dirty brown angel swiveled and Lucifer only caught the edge of his wing, chopping off a few primary feathers.

Mammon howled in pain as blood oozed out if his broken quills.  He rounded on an unsuspecting Lucifer, delivering a fist to his side. 

Lucifer lost his grasp on Aerianael, the sword clanking on the stone in front of Chloe.

Chloe saw her chance and scooted toward the sword. Laying on her side, she rubbed her restraints against the metal, freeing her hands. She quickly untied her ankles and hid behind a rock.

Lucifer grabbed Mammon by his tattered shirt and hoisted him into the air, flapping his wings to gain height. Raising Mammon above his head, Lucifer threw him down to the dirt with a hard thump.

Mammon recovered quickly and launched into the air, propelled lopsided by his asymmetrical wings.  He used this irregular motion to aid in - and conceal, his roundhouse kick to Lucifer's face.

Lucifer plummeted to the ground, the tang of blood in his mouth. Mammon tumbled to the ground after him, unable to maintain flight.    

Lucifer didn’t recover as quickly from Mammon’s kick as Mammon did from Lucifer’s blows. With Chloe so close, he was fighting a losing battle. He had to wield Aerianael if he wanted to win. 

Mammon grabbed Lucifer’s neck and brought him so close their noses almost touched. Light and dark in perfect contrast.

“I don’t know how you managed to survive last time, but I’ll make sure you don’t weasel your way out of death twice.” 

Chloe looked down at the sword and up at the two angels. Mammon’s back was turned to her, the sword within her reach. With such swiftness that only came from a seasoned detective, Chloe made a decision. She retrieved the blade and charged at Mammon. The sword pierced through flesh and bone, cracks and pops reverberating around her. 

Mammon looked to Lucifer with shock and dropped his head down to his body. Impossibly sharp metal peeked through his stomach. His body went limp and he let go of Lucifer, sinking to the ground.

A brief moment of relief befell Chloe. The threat was eliminated. Unlike other times, Chloe felt no remorse in ending the life of this cretin. The moment was short-lived, however, as another threat presented itself. Her hands itched with the sensation of fire with no flame. 

Chloe let out a great scream. she let go of the sword’s hilt and fell to the earth. 

Lucifer went cold with dread and kneeled down next to Chloe.

“Chloe! No! Why did you do that?” He lifted her up into his lap.

Chloe felt like fire was trying to rip out through her insides and melting her organs.  She let out a struggled scream. 

“Protect. You,” she managed in her waning light. 

“No! No! You’ll be ok.” Lucifer placed his hand on her and tried to use his grace to heal her, but it was a celestial weapon. Even his grace couldn’t help, and he knew it. He lifted her head to look into her bright turquoise eyes.

“Trixie. Take care of-“ Chloe thrashed around. He had to take care of her daughter, be her guardian angel.

“You can’t leave me.” Hot tears ran down Lucifer's blood-stained face.

“I love-“ Chloe let out another strangled scream and her body dissolved into ash, leaving Lucifer grasping at air.

Lucifer couldn’t believe it. No. She wasn’t gone. He hadn’t had the chance to tell her how he felt. He dug around in the dirt, searching for her. He just had to dig a little bit, she was there, he was sure of it!

He stilled when he heard a moan behind him. Mammon rolled onto his side, clutching his stomach. Lucifer stood and turned to the bloodied angel. 

“If I thought,” Lucifer began, scorn in his voice. “ _ For one second _ you couldn’t escape, I’d send you back to Hell. You deserve so much more than where you’ve been for the past thousand years.” Lucifer squatted down on his heels next to Mammon’s face.

Mammon laughed. “Just you wait. You have no idea what’s coming for you.” Thich, black blood oozed out of his mouth as he swallowed down. 

Lucifer yanked Aerianael from Mammon’s gut and examined the sword. He turned his face to the bleeding monster and cocked his head. “Whatever it is, I’ll be ready for it. You made a mistake. With Chloe gone, I have nothing to live for. Now, there’s the Devil to pay.”

Raising Aerianael above his head, Lucifer came down swiftly on Mammon, separating his head from his body. There was still an evil smile on Mammon’s face as the head rolled away. Standing up, Lucifer held out his hand and called on Hellfire. Blazing orange and yellow flames licked across the dead angel’s body, wings, and severed skull.

With one last look around, Lucifer vanished.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this chapter. Busy with life and whatnot. We're almost there people! Stick with me on this...BTW super bad of me to not do this, I really have to thank Fireloom for all of her help on this! Without her, this story wouldn't be nearly as good!!! Thanks love!

Lucifer landed in his penthouse. He looked down at Aerianael still clutched in his hand. Black blood splattered the shining metal, a reminder of everything gained and everything lost. He dropped the sword as if it burned his own hand. Another bittersweet gift from Dad. Dad. God. It was all his fault. 

Just as he was about to lift off, set on storming the gates of heaven, he heard a rustling coming from the bedroom. 

“Lucifer, Baby. Where have you been? I’ve missed you.” Out walked one of the Brittany’s, clad in only the smallest pieces of lace and a come hither look. 

“Oh, are we doing angels and demons again? You know how much I love that game.” She crept closer to him and reached her hand toward his chin.

Lucifer jumped back from the girl’s touch. “Get out.” 

“What?” 

“You heard me. Get out.” Lucifer rounded the girl and B-lined for his bar, ready to drink the day, and possibly more, away.

“But Baby-” 

“I said  _ get out _ !” Lucifer bellowed with the force of hell behind him. He reached for one of the bar stools and heaved it at the glass cases behind the bar. It shattered into pieces.

Brittany screamed and ran to the elevator. Luckily for her, it was already waiting at the penthouse level and she retreated downstairs as quickly as she could.

Alcohol dripped from broken decanters, shelves creaked as they struggled to hold onto loose screws, glass shards glittered the floor. 

It wasn’t enough. 

Lucifer picked up the next bar stool and threw it at his marble wall. It cracked through the middle, leaving a crater in the center. Still not enough. He picked up Aerianael and slashed through the couch, the chairs, the piano, his bed, anything and everything that could be broken. he shattered into pieces. 

With pillow feathers and dust falling around him, he wailed out and fell to his knees. 

“Why?! Why her?! Why did you take her from me?” 

He felt useless, unwanted, lost. The one he loved was gone and now he had no reason to stay. He had to come up with a plan. As much as he would love to just go knock on Daddy’s door demanding Chloe back, he knew he needed to be prepared. Hell. He’d go back to Hell, fix whatever mess Mammon had blathered on about, gather up an army of demons and let the apocalypse come. 

Chloe’s final words echoed in his head. Trixie, take care of Trixie. He had to get his affairs in order here on earth first. Maze wouldn’t like it, but she’d have to stay, protect their humans...even Dan. He’d transfer all of his money, all of his properties, everything he owned to Trixie. He’d make sure the girl was well taken care of. 

A little colder, a little harder, and with a plan set in place, Lucifer stood and shook out his wings, letting bits of glass and wood fall from the shafts. He looked around the penthouse one last time,  _ the _ last time. Retirement was over for the Devil. Time to get back to work. Time to punish those responsible for Chloe’s death. 

With a gust of wind, he landed in Chloe’s apartment. The anger left him as quickly as it had come. Being around her life, around the things that reminded him so much of her, he was left with only sorrow. The bleak realization that no, she wasn’t coming back. He could try to win the war against his father, but what would the result be? She wouldn’t be coming back here, to her home. After it was all over, this home may not even exist. 

Letting the despair wash over him, he hid away his wings and climbed the steps to her room. Exhaustion was inevitable. Even a celestial needs rest. He’d worry about the plan later. For now, he wanted to breathe in Chloe’s scent, be where she was, feel her around him. He crawled into the perfectly made bed, clutched a pillow to his face, and breathed her in. 

That was how the group found him, wrapped in Chloe’s blankets, face buried in a down pillow. Maze and Amenadiel stood in the room, looking forlorn. Dan rolled his eyes at the absurdity of it and Trixie still held all the hope in the world. 

“Don’t worry, Lucifer, we’ll find Mommy.” Trixie patted his shoulder.

Maze and Amenadiel gave each other a glance. They knew what this meant. Dan looked at them and shook his head.

“No,” he said. “We’ll find her.”

Amenadiel clasped his hand on Dan’s shoulder and, staring into the human’s eyes, shook his head.

“No,” Dan said again, his bottom lip quivering. “Come on, Trixie. Let’s go make dinner.”

The little girl didn’t understand what was happening so she obediently followed her Dad.

“What happened?” Maze asked in a soft voice.

Lucifer shuddered. He didn’t want to relive it. Part of him wanted to die right there, amidst the blankets and pillows. The other side though, the raging side, the Devil side, wanted something different. “She prayed to me.  _ ‘Please dear God, Lucifer help me.’” _

Amenadiel and Maze waited patiently for more.

“I found her. Mammon had tied her up and he was…touching her.” There it was, the anger he needed to fight back. He’d be damned if he’d let Chloe’s death go unnoticed. “I threw him across the cave. With Chloe so close, the blows hurt, and I lost energy fast. Mammon was choking me and the Detective…Chloe…she picked up Aerianael and stabbed him through the chest.”

Maze slapped her hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. Amenadiel bowed his head.

“With her dying breath, she said she did it to protect me.” Lucifer squeezed at the pillow that smelled so much like her. No one had ever been there to protect him, save Maze. Chloe was so brave. Even in the face of ultimate danger and true evil, she still managed to defeat it. “She  _ is _ a miracle.”

He didn’t hear Maze or Amenadiel leave, but he did hear the screams come from downstairs. Trixie wailed, and heavy feet stomped up the stairs.

“This is your fault!” Dan was on top of Lucifer in seconds, delivering blow after blow to his face. Lucifer didn’t fight back, taking every hit. He deserved it. No blood left Lucifer’s mouth, and it never would again. His only weakness was gone. The pain helped though. It brought him back to center. 

With every blow, Lucifer saw his path laid before him. Fight for her. 

Amenadiel pulled Dan off of Lucifer and quieted the man with a hand on Dan’s chest. “Shh, be at peace.” Dan slumped to the floor, a glazed look in his eyes.

Lucifer just laid there, staring at the ceiling. The two sides of him fought for control. The anger was raging, the devil inside of him was wreaking havoc on Heaven even now. The other side was wallowing and missing and hurting. He’d never see her smile again, never brush a wisp of hair off her face, never feel the warmth of her body in one of their confusing hugs. He’d never see her again. She was someplace he couldn’t go. And what did he have now? A sword and some itchy feathers. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, the monster in him raged on.  _ No. We are not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We’re going to rest, we’re going to recuperate. We’re going to fight for what’s ours. Have your little pity party now, but just wait until we're done with them. _

He didn’t know how long he had been there, unresponsive, but when he opened his eyes again, Trixie was wrapped in his arms. Pulling the child tighter, he drifted back into a sleepless daze.

Visions of deep blue eyes and blonde hair prevented Lucifer from getting any kind of restful sleep. When he woke up the next morning, his body felt dull and empty. Not wanting to wake Trixie, Lucifer slowly untangled himself from the little being and silently crept down the stairs.

Linda was sitting at the kitchen counter, a cup of coffee in her hand. This was the last thing Lucifer wanted.

“Good morning, Doctor.” Lucifer made his way to the coffee pot.

“Lucifer, I’m so sorry for your loss.” Linda’s own eyes were red and puffy. She too had lost a friend after all.

“Don’t worry, Linda. You’ll see her again.” Lucifer took a sip of coffee and, realizing he wanted something much stronger, put down the cup. He reached above the refrigerator where Chloe hid his stash and poured a hefty amount into the steaming coffee.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

Lucifer shook his head. “I’m sure Amenadiel and Maze are taking care of any logistics for the police.”

“I’m not talking about logistics, Lucifer. I’m talking about you.”

“I’m not sure what you want from me, Doctor. I don’t have anything more to give. I’m tapped out. There’s nothing left.”

Linda nodded. “When that numbness goes away, give me a call. I’ll help in any way I can.”

“That won’t be necessary. As soon as my affairs are in order, I’ll be returning to Hell.” Lucifer took a long sip of his whiskey with a little coffee.

Linda’s cup halted midway to her mouth.d. “I don’t think that’s wise Lucifer. You have people here who need you. Trixie needs you. Maze, Ella, Dan…me.”

“Maze will be staying, and Trixie and Dan will be well cared for in my absence. They’ll never want for anything again.”

“I don’t think they’re worried about that. I think they’d rather have you around.”

“The right hook from the Douche last night would suggest otherwise.” Lucifer placed his empty cup on the counter.

“We all handle loss differently.”

Dan walked out of Trixie’s room, rubbing his eyes. He looked at Lucifer and down at the floor, without saying anything he walked into the kitchen and poured himself some much-needed coffee. The sleep loss was evident in his eyes.

“How are you, Dan?” Linda questioned over the rim of her mug.

Ignoring the question, Dan started to rattle off things that needed to be done. “I have to go to the office and fill them in on the situation. Maze already went there last night with Amenadiel. I’ll have... Have to call…Penelope today and start making arrangements. Linda, can you help get Trixie ready for school?” Dan ignored Lucifer up to that moment.

“She’s not going to school today,” Lucifer said. “I’ll stay with her.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Dan said gruffly.

“Actually, that’s a great idea,” Linda responded to Dan. “They need each other. To grieve.”

Dan let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. But can you stay with them?”

“Of course.” Linda smiled softly.

Trixie walked into the kitchen awkwardly. She didn’t know what to do. Her eyes went to Linda and then to her Dad, and finally settled on Lucifer. She shuffled over to the Devil and held up her arms. 

Without a second thought, Lucifer picked her up and cradled her against his chest.

Dan gawked at the show of affection between the two. Trixie had a choice between her Dad and Lucifer and had chosen Lucifer.

With a hurt look on his face, Dan left without another word.

“What would you like for breakfast, spawn?” The title had turned into a term of endearment.

“Can you bring her back?” 

Lucifer and Linda locked eyes at the innocent child’s question. 

“Yes, but it won’t be simple.” 

“Lucifer…” Linda warned from the counter. 

“Why? Why can’t you just go get her?” She muffled from his shoulder.

“I’m not welcome where your mother is.”

She pulled away, confusion in her eyes. 

“Then storm the castle! Bring mommy back!” Trixie’s lips quivered and tears welled in her eyes. 

Lucifer was impressed by Trixie’s cleverness. They had the same idea. He didn’t want to alarm Linda with his plan though. “If there were anyone to wage a celestial war over, it would be your mum. But for right now, what about breakfast?” 

“Chocolate cake,” Trixie said against Lucifer’s neck. How could he say no to that?

Smirking a little, he looked at Linda who was back to being relaxed in observing them. “Done,” he said.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, this chapter will answer those questions you've all been having. It's all dialogue, so be warned now. I truly hope you find this chapter as funny and as light as I meant it to be. After so much darkness, we deserved some fluffiness. Huge shout out to my beta, Fireloom. Thanks for sticking with me on this :)

Chloe fell into nothingness. No darkness, no light, no sound, no touch. Only her thoughts. Her body didn’t hurt anymore because she  _ had _ no body. She was weightless, drifting through time and space, propelled by cosmic forces. Relaxed and numb, Chloe only thought of one thing. Trixie. 

Her daughter was motherless now. Lucifer and Dan could take care of themselves, but her daughter would grow up without a mom like she grew into her twenties without a Dad. Her only hope was that Lucifer would be there for Trixie, that he wouldn’t run away. 

Run away to Hell. Because Lucifer was the devil. It was all true, and right here and now, is the final proof.

Time passed, how long she didn’t know, it could have been centuries of drifting like a speck of dust in the wind.

And then, Chloe was corporeal...

Chloe looked out over a small living room. She gazed around, comprehending, recognizing. This is her childhood home. Back when her family was whole. She covered her mouth as the memories flooded in. Taco Tuesdays  _ the original _ , right on that bench. 

She looked down at herself, draped in a long, flowing, emerald green dress made of the finest silk. It flowed around her hips and legs, accentuating her curves. She put her hands up to her chest, making sure she could feel again. There, her fingers met the tips of her hair, perfectly groomed into curls that cascaded down her shoulders, and glowed golden in the warm hues of her home.

Movement came from the kitchen and Chloe was drawn to the sound. A man stepped into the living room. For a brief moment, Chloe fell into old daydreams of a child playing with her beloved father. 

“ _ Daddy?” _

“Hey, monkey.” His voice, like late night comfort and unending praise, pierced Chloe's heart. Tears welled in her eyes and a delighted squeak lept out of her mouth. John Decker held out his arms and embraced his daughter.

Chloe flung her arms around his neck and held on so so tightly, just like the baby monkey she was named for.

“I’ve missed you, Honey.” He uttered by her ear. He stroked her hair and Chloe was gone. She melted into him and breathed in his sheer  _ there _ -ness after so many long years of being apart. “I’m so proud of you.” 

She shattered.“Is this heaven?” she asked with incandescent joy.

John pulled away from Chloe but kept his arms around her shoulders... “You heard Raguel during his welcome speech, right?” Chloe rejoins the rest of the little world. Raguel... Was another angel, like Lucifer was an angel. 

John noticed she did not respond and wandered off somewhere else like she always did as thoughtful teenager... “You know,” he drew her attention back with a prodding voice. “ _ Congratulations, you’re in heaven. The bathrooms are over there _ …that sort of thing.”

Chloe shook her head. “No. I was…nothing... and then I was here.” She drew her eyebrows together. If Lucifer was an angel, then that means... Mammon, the wings, the sword!

John furrowed his brows as well. “Must have been some sort of mistake. Well, you’re here now,” he said, not much caring how it happened, just that it did. He hugged his daughter once more. Chloe fell into that mushy, gooey place of total comfort. 

“Tell me everything that’s happened.”

“You couldn’t watch me from up here?” She muttered, pulling open her new file of  _ what the hell is going on - complete revision  _ and crossing that one out, her pen ready for new information.

“No. It doesn’t work like that. But a little birdy told me you became a detective, like your old man.” John smiled. He took her hand and led her to the couch.

Chloe plopped down inelegantly. Her eyes searched without the knowledge of what she would find. Lucifer had been telling her the truth. Heaven was real because  _ here she was. _ And he was the devil. And she had  _ kissed the devil _ . She had let Satan,  _ the _ Satan, into her house, with her daughter. She remembered how Lucifer had acted when Trixie tried to hug him. The devil was afraid of children. 

Chloe began to giggle and then laugh. She couldn’t stop. She felt her side cramp and she continued to hysterically laugh at the absurdities of it. Maze was a demon. She let a demon babysit her daughter. More laughter. The Devil liked cool ranch puffs. Tears started to stream down her face.

John watched his daughter, concerned. “Monkey? Are you ok?”

“I’m in love with the Devil!” Chloe clutched her side and rolled forward, continuing to giggle.

“Devil? What are you talking about?” He frowned, concerned that his daughter had gone mad in his absence.

“Lucifer!” Chloe convulsed in a fit of snorts and chuckles.

“I’m going to need a little more information, Chloe.”

“Oh Dad,” Chloe wiped at her eyes, “There’s so much to tell you.”

“Well, we have all the time in Heaven. Start at the beginning.”

Chloe calmed herself and told her father everything. She started at becoming a cop, then a detective, how she met Dan, and had Trixie.

“I have a granddaughter?”

Chloe nodded. “She’s pretty fantastic.”

“I can’t wait to meet her.”

Then Chloe told him about her wayward Devil of a partner. She told him about Lucifer’s crazy antics, how he irritated her to no end, and how he made her a better detective.

“So, you’re telling me that the devil, The Prince of Lies, took a vacation in LA and consulted for the LAPD?”

“Yea, he punishes the guilty. I guess it makes sense.” Chloe shrugged her shoulders.

“And you’re in love with him?”

Chloe thought for a moment. “Yea, I am. He’s unbelievably irritating and he drives me nuts. But he’s never lied to me. He hasn’t always told me the whole truth, but he’s never lied to me. And Dad, I met evil recently. And Lucifer? He’s not evil. He’s one of the most caring, trustworthy, loyal men I know.”

“Well, I hate to tell you this Monkey, but I don’t think you’ll be seeing him again.” John held his daughter’s hand.

“No, I guess I won’t.” Chloe’s heart broke. Lucifer was kicked out of heaven. He couldn’t come back. “Do you have any whiskey?”

“I believe there’s some at the bar around the corner.” Both John and Chloe jumped at the deep British voice behind them.

They spotted over the couch an older man, dark hair and dark eyes, a perfectly tailored light gray suit hung off his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, and you are?” John asked inquisitively, stepping around the couch to meet the intruder.

“I go by a lot of names. Jehovah, Yahweh, The Holy Spirit, King of Kings, Alpha and Omega, Allah, Duw if you’re from Cornwall. You’re of the Judeo-Christian culture, so I suppose you can call me God.”

With a look of terror on his face, John immediately went to his knees. “I’m so sorry, your highness. Please forgive me.”

Chloe cocked her head in confusion and God rolled his eyes.

“Oh, get up! You know, I’m going to have to have another talk with Gabriel about this whole bowing and kneeling thing. It started off as a joke and now I can’t get anyone to stop.”

Chloe saw the resemblance then between Lucifer and God. “Is this what you always look like? Or are you just placating to what I want to see?”

“You’re a smart one Detective Decker.” God pointed at Chloe. “Come around here so I can see you, child.”

Chloe got up from the couch and walked around to stand in front of God.

“I did good with you.” God nodded. “Lucifer’s little miracle. I hate calling him that. He’ll always be Samael to me, but who am I to deny him.”

John had gotten up from the floor and was looking between the two. “Miracle?”

“Yes, miracle. Although this is a much longer conversation and I think everyone would be a little more comfortable here.”

Chloe and John blinked, and they were in Lucifer’s penthouse or a great replica of it.

“Where are we?” John asked.

“Lucifer’s penthouse.” Chloe smiled.

God was behind the bar. “Lucifer always did have great taste in drink. Single malt, scotch, or rye?”

Chloe remembered Lucifer’s favorite brand. “Scotch, bottom shelf, behind the cheap stuff. That’s where he keeps his stash.”

God reached behind the cheap bottle of bourbon and found a bottle that cost more than Chloe’s car. Pouring three glasses, God placed two on the bar in front of Chloe and John.

“So, where to start?” God asked as he picked up a dirty glass from the sink, beginning to clean it.

“Lucifer is the Devil,” Chloe said.

“Ah, yes. Millions of years ago, I was happily wandering through space and time, single and ready to mingle as it were, much like you were before I planted you in Mr. Decker’s home.” He motioned to Chloe. “And I came across a beautiful Goddess. She was absolutely breathtaking. And to put it in a way you would understand, I got a metaphysical hard on like you wouldn’t believe.”

Chloe sipped her drink and couldn’t wrap her mind around this. God was supposed to be almighty and wise, fair and just. It just didn’t quite fit into her puzzle of life that he would be quirky and eccentric.

“We did what all animals do…humped like rabbits.”

John spit out his drink and wiped his face. Apparently, he was having a hard time adjusting as well. God quickly picked up a rag and wiped at the counter, not stopping his story.

“Didn’t know how accurate a statement like ‘The Big Bang’ was, did you?” Chloe giggled at God’s remark. “Sometime later, Goddess became pregnant and out popped our little Samael. He was our first born and the light of our lives. His twin came next, Michael. You’ll meet him soon.” God said offhandedly.

“So, Morningstar? That’s a given name?” Chloe asked.

“Yes, our Lightbringer. His original purpose was to bring light, music, creativity, and art to the cosmos. He created the stars and vibrant colors. He moved sound to create melodies and harmonies, bending the waves at his will.” God moved his hand as if he could see the creation in front of him, basking in the memory of when Lucifer was at his best. “Michael was our protector, the….grr of God.” God shook his fists in front of himself. “He was the strength of my wife and I combined. Lucifer though, he was joy and love and happiness.”

“What happened?” Chloe took a sip of her whiskey. John didn’t have anything to say and just watched as his daughter had a full conversation with The Creator himself.

“After my wife and I had been together for so long, we realized that the physical attraction was all that was keeping us together. We had very different ideas of what this universe should be. Not different, bad. Just different. We started to fight more, and the kids noticed and got thrown in the middle of it. I tried to ignore the damn thing as much as possible and started working on a little project of my own. You.” God tipped his head towards Chloe.

Chloe nodded for him to continue.

“All that I asked of my children was that they love you as much as they loved me. It didn’t go over so hot with Samael.” God took a sip from his tumbler. “He got away with it because I loved him so much, but the other angels grumbled at how lenient I was with him. He started to miss family dinners more and more. He stopped responding to my calls for him and all around just being a pain-in-the-ass.”

“That’s not a reason to kick him out!” Chloe slammed her glass on the counter.

God held up his hand. “I beg your pardon, but may I finish?”

Chloe swallowed hard and sat silent.

“His mother had told him that I wanted to throw him out, using him against me. It was a bitch move, to say the least. With all of the hatred and lies that woman told, Lucifer believed her. Who would ever think that their mother would lie to them?”

Chloe thought back to her divorce with Dan. They hadn’t always been so civil, and Trixie had ended up in the middle more than once. They were only human.

“When he did finally come around after nagging from both his mother and me, we had it out. He said he was tired of being stuck between us and he wanted the free will that I blessed humanity with. I said some things I didn’t mean. It came to blows and he stormed off.”

God refilled their drinks, wiped down the bar, and threw the towel over his shoulder.

“Now, it should be noted that my wife and I had a lot of sex. Like, a lot. And depending on the type of sex we had, it determined our children’s temperament. You had the unfortunate luck of meeting our son Mammon. He was born out of a particularly nasty bout of angry sex. So, when Samael rebelled, Mammon sided with him. He was a conniving, persuasive angel. And I never did like him. I love all my children, but I never liked him.”

“So, you threw them into Hell?” Chloe asked.

“No actually. After our little fight, I took counsel with Michael. I believe my exact words were ‘He belongs someplace he can be himself’. Michael took it upon himself to determine what that meant and promptly kicked his brothers’ asses out of heaven, without my consent.”

“Sorry!” John piped up. “But why the -el?” He seemed to be focusing on the wrong details, Chloe thought.

“Ah! Good question!” God smiled. “There are seven archangels. The ‘el’ means ‘Of God’. They were all born at the initial creation of this universe, all having special, important jobs to do. The remaining angels were lesser, and though they are still ‘Of God’, it became harder and harder to come up with names, so we expanded to names like Mammon or Metatron. They had fewer powers and did smaller jobs. The archangels are Samael and Michael. Then came Amenadiel, Gabriel, Azrael, Raphael and…”

Chloe leaned in waiting for him to finish, “Raziel?” Raising her eyebrows in question. She remembered some things from her basic knowledge of Christianity.  

“Ah, yes! Very good! Point to you!” God smiled. “It’s so hard to keep track of all of them. There are so bloody many.”

Chloe nodded slowly, “Anyway…” It wasn’t lost on her how much God cursed, but she supposed he could do what he wanted. He was God after all.

“So long story short, by the time I knew what Michael had done, Samael had already been in Hell for hundreds of years. He had already locked Mammon in a cage, which I actually agreed with. I checked in on him once and felt the hate he had in his heart, saw his new face and I knew he couldn’t forgive me for what had happened. I tried to help by sending his mother to him, hoping they could heal together. He just locked her up too. It was too late.”

Chloe’s head was spinning. This was too much information all at once. “Charlotte?”

“Yes, I set her free from Hell to find Lucifer, hoping that would be the catalyst to get them both up here to talk. It didn’t work out the way I had hoped.” God shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, I’m not perfect. Lucifer opened up a portal to another universe and that’s where she is now. I actually visited her. It was a great shag.”

“Can you not talk about the sex you’re having? It just feels weird.” Chloe held up her hand to God.

God shrugged again.

“I’m sorry. I’m having a little trouble understanding how Chloe fits into all of this.” John pointed between the two.

“That’s a perfect lead into my next topic of discussion.” God poured everyone another drink. Chloe wasn’t feeling the effects of the alcohol, so she didn’t mind sipping away.

God placed the whiskey bottle on the counter and gave Chloe his full attention. 

“You are a miracle. I sent Amenadiel down to bless your parents the ability to have you.”

John shook his head. “We couldn’t have children.”

God shook his head, “No. You couldn’t. But being the tinkering, child-with-an-ant-farm that I am, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to drop a little divinity into my son’s life.”

Chloe had the image of a cartoon character’s brain blowing up in a mushroom of smoke in her head and thought that must be what her face looks like. “You made me for Lucifer?”

“No, no!” God said. “I merely knew that if you existed, you would cross paths with him. You still have all of your free will. I saw every possibility of the two of you interacting with one another and 75% of the time, you got along.”

“The other 25%?” Chloe asked.

“Well, let’s not talk about that. You’re sitting squarely in the top 5% of possibilities right now.”

“And what’s that?”

“Love.” God plainly stated, taking a drink.

Chloe guffawed and remembered when Lucifer had barged in on her asking if she had known all along. She never got the chance to ask him about what because – “What about Candy? Is that why he ran away?”

“Yes, my lovely wife got it into his head that I was trying to manipulate him again, so he pushed you away. On behalf of my meddling other half, I am truly sorry.” God put a hand to his heart.

“You keep calling her your wife. Isn’t she your ex now?” John asked.

“We’re seeing a therapist. A few thousand years of trial separation never hurt anyone.” God replied. 

“Any other questions?” He looked between the two.

“Only a thousand!” Chloe gulped down her whiskey and stood. “So, do you forgive Lucifer for what he did? Why didn’t you just go and talk to him? What about Maze? Can he come up to heaven now? What does that mean for me? What happened to Hitler? Who shot John F. Kennedy? What does all of this have to do with me?” She huffed and paced.

“Let me take this one question at a time. One, there’s nothing to forgive with Lucifer. I was never angry enough to kick him out or destroy him, no matter what his mother says. If anything, I hope he’ll forgive me. B, I thought I would give him some cooling off time. I was embarrassed that I let it happen. With every century that passed, the gap between us grew wider. Three, Maze is a demon. I’m not sure what you’re asking there. D? Or is it E? Anyway, he was never kicked out by me. He could always come back. Five, you don’t want to know what happened to Hitler or who shot Johnny. It’s too much to handle. And lastly, I’m glad you brought that up!” God removed the rag from his shoulder and walked around the bar.

Chloe was standing in the middle of ‘Lucifer’s penthouse’ with her hands on her hips as God circled around her, her long dress swished around as she turned to keep God in her eyesight. He rubbed his hands together and –

“Dad!”

God dropped his hands in a huff and turned to his son.

“Michael. You found me.”

“Of course, I found you. What are you doing?”

Chloe stared at the man that appeared at Lucifer’s elevator doors. He was the spitting image of his brother. Tall, broad shoulders, dark set eyes. His hair was curly though and he had a permanent scowl on his face. He was wearing what looked like a dress and his wings were black. Not the dark charcoal of Amenadiel’s, but darker and they shimmered purple and blue in the light.

“Michael, meet Miss Chloe Jane Decker. Chloe, this is Lucifer’s twin, Michael.” God motioned between the two.

“Nice to meet you,” Chloe mumbled.

“Nice to meet you too, Miss Decker.” Michael bowed his head slightly then turned back to his father. “We have an issue with Jesus again. He’s throwing another temper tantrum. I need your help.”

“You can do better than that. Chloe is practically family!” God pouted a little. Michael rolled his eyes and held out his hand to Chloe.

Chloe was confused but took Michael’s hand anyway.

“You must be Samael’s betrothed. It’s nice to meet you.” Michael gave Chloe a small smile that didn’t meet his eyes.

“Betrothed?” Chloe asked. Everyone ignored her.

“His name is Lucifer. If I can call him that, you can.” God pointed at Michael.

“Can we get back to Jesus now?” Michael scoffed impatiently.

God waved off his son “Let him throw his little hissy fit. You know if I had known he was going to be this much damn trouble, I would have picked someone else to be my prophet.”

Michael sighed heavily. “Please?”

“Fine, fine. Let me just take care of something right quick.”

God turned back to Chloe, rubbing his hands together again. With a clap, Chloe felt something heavy on her back. Her dad gasped, and she stumbled forward a little.

“Ah! Good!” God exclaimed and looked at Michael. “So where is the little twit?”

Michael stared in awe at Chloe. “You can’t do that!”

“Of course, I can. I’m God.”

“No, section 5a, subsection 3129-c, paragraph 4 of The Decorum of-“

“Oh, fuck the Decorum. It’s all rubbish anyway.” God waved it off.

Chloe reached behind her and felt something large and muscular. She turned her head to the side and saw large, white wings like Lucifer’s. “What…”

“They match Lucifer’s!” God smiled widely.

Chloe rolled her back and the wings moved, causing her to jump a little. God was right. They were a glowing, pearlescent white, except at the tips. The tips faded into a vibrant violet.

Michael growled at God. “You can’t just go around giving out wings. What is everyone going to think?”

God rolled his eyes so far back, Chloe was pretty sure he saw his own spine. He walked back behind the bar, picked up his drink and turned to John, “When children grow up, they always think they know better, don’t they?”

John let out a quick laugh. “Yea, when Chloe was 18, she tried to tell me I was driving wrong. They think they’re so much smarter than us.”

“True story,” God said, and they clinked glasses.

“Hey! Hello! Over here! Yea, the girl with brand new fucking WINGS has a few more questions!” Chloe tried not to move because every time she did, they moved too.

“Yea, what about The Divine Plan, Dad?” Michael put his hands on his hips.

“I just want to see Lucifer happy. So, fuck the stupid sodding plan. I was the one that came up with it, I can break it.”

Michael huffed in disapproval and Chloe still stood frozen.

“Go teach Chloe how to use her new wings. I’ll deal with the bloody Christ.” God took one final swig of his drink.

“So, does this mean I can go back home?” Chloe asked.

God nodded. “Lucifer needs you. He has some major clean up to do in Hell. Someone let Mammon lose and he needs to figure out who. Also, the Spear is still missing.”

“Hell…”Chloe nodded, right, that makes sense.

“Yes, well, Lucifer needs someone with a keen sense of justice at his side if he’s going to continue to rule down there,” God asked.

Chloe thought for a moment then nodded, smiling. “But what makes you think he’ll go back to Hell? He’s said it before, he’s retired.”

“He’s the only one with the strength to do it. And with you at his side, he can accomplish anything.” God patted Chloe on the back which made her tense up. “Michael, would you get this girl out and show her how to use these? Jesus Christ, she’s stiff as a board.”

Michael grumbled under his breath, something about not being a babysitter.

“I’m sorry, what was that? You’re so happy to do this very nice thing for your brother because you were wrong, and you love him? Is that what I heard?” God asked.

“Yes, father.” Michael grabbed Chloe’s hand and dragged her to the elevator.

“Tell my son I love him, and the shackles are in Moscow!” God called out as the doors shut, Chloe’s eyes confused and nervous.

“My little Monkey, an angel.” John sat up a little taller in his seat.

“You’re the only human from earth who can genuinely say ‘My kid is an angel’ and mean it.” God pointed back to him.

“Don’t you have to go deal with Jesus?” John asked.

“In a minute. We’re practically in-laws and what’s the rush? That little snot gets his panties in a twist at least once a century. It can wait.” God smiled and poured another round.

When the elevator doors opened again in front of Chloe, it wasn’t to Lux. It was a giant football field.

“How did we get here? And I didn’t get a chance to say bye to my dad.” Chloe looked behind her, but the door was gone.

“You’ll see him again and I thought that this was a better place for you to practice than the inside of a bar.”

“What? No big puffy clouds and angels playing harps?” Chloe asked sarcastically.

Michael didn’t respond, only deepened his scowl.

“Now, much like arms and legs, you have to think about what you want them to do.” He crossed his arms over his chest and stood in front of Chloe, legs shoulder-width apart.

Chloe nodded. She thought about the wings and how she wanted them to move. They fluttered behind her and she jumped. “It’s going to take a lot to get used to these.”

“Once you get the basics down, they’ll start to just feel like an extension of yourself. Try again.”

Chloe thought again and they made a wide sweeping motion around her. Stronger than she thought, the wings lifted her feet off the ground. “AH!” She screamed and dropped herself.

“That’s good. Do it again.”

“I felt light like my legs were naturally going to sweep underneath me.”

“You know how birds curl their legs underneath them to fly? Well, because angels don’t have aerodynamic bodies naturally, divinity sort of…takes over.” Michael shrugged his shoulder a little. “Now try it again.”

After about an hour of practice, Chloe was able to make a few laps around the football field without faltering. She still stumbled a bit at the landing, but it was getting easier.

“Good. Now, I want you to think about the wings disappearing from your back. Put them away like you would put…I don’t know…a sword in its sheath.”

“Sword in its sheath?” Chloe chortled.

“Hey, I’m a warrior, give me a break.” Michael frowned.

Chloe stilled her mind and with a spasm of her back, the wings were gone and so was the weight.

“Now unsheathe the sword.” Michael said.

Chloe pushed her shoulders together and the wings reappeared.

“Good, now, some basic rules. You’ll have super strength now. Be careful around glass. If anyone wants to get ahold of you, all they have to do is pray, like this.” Michael put his hands together and closed his eyes.

Chloe felt a buzzing at the back of her head and heard Michael’s voice in her mind _‘Chloe, next we’ll try interdimensional travel’_.

“Interdimensional travel?”

“How else are we supposed to get to Earth and Hell?” Michael opened his eyes. “Just like you did with your wings, I want you to think really hard about a specific place on Earth.”

Chloe smiled, closed her eyes, and thought of home.

“Now imagine you’re there.”

Chloe felt a shift in the space around her, the light changed, and when she opened her eyes, she was standing in her front hallway, the rising sun casting orange and pink rays through the front windows.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am truly sorry that it took me this long to post the remainder of this story. Real life got in the way. As always, thank you to Fireloom for being my most trusted beta.

Lucifer took Trixie to the penthouse after breakfast. He couldn’t stand to be around Chloe’s things anymore. She was in everything he touched, everything he smelled and everything he saw.  Based on Trixie’s constant tears, she couldn’t stand it either.

Trixie napped on Lucifer’s couch while he stood outside on his balcony, looking up at the sky, wings drifting in the breeze. “I’ll get her back one way or another. Hell will freeze over before I stop fighting for her.” 

“I hear you can arrange that.”

Lucifer startled and turned to the intruder. Before him stood a familiar face, a man a little shorter than Lucifer, dressed in traditional angelic robes. He had blonde hair, big blue eyes, and a mischievous smirk permanently plastered on his face. His wings were a bright shade of blue.

“Hey Gabe.” Lucifer turned back around to look at the LA skyline. “Long time no see.”

“When was it? Salvador Dali? 1937?”

Lucifer smirked and nodded.

“That was a Hell of a party. Lasted into the 40’s if I remember correctly.” Gabriel patted Lucifer on the back and looked over his brother’s shoulder. “Your wings look terrible. Want me to fix them for you?”

Lucifer didn’t say anything, but Gabriel stepped behind him and began to realign feathers, trimming away at dead ones, and stroking through them to remove any dirt.

It was a small gesture, but it helped relax Lucifer’s shoulders. It’d been years since he’d had this. Even though he taught Maze how to do it, she only complied out of obligation. She never took care or pride in it, not like another angel did.

“I’m sorry about Chloe,” Gabriel said. “She was something special.”

“Thank you.” Lucifer took a drink from the glass he had been holding.

“Who’s the kid?”

“Trixie, Chloe’s daughter.”

“She’s something special too.” Gabriel said. “So, don’t go doing anything stupid, like returning to Hell. She needs you here.”

After Gabriel had finished, he took one last look at his big brother. “If you need anything, give me a prayer.”  


And he was gone.

Trixie shuffled her way out onto the balcony. “I’m hungry.”

Lucifer smiled and thought about what his baby brother had said. “Muchos Tacos?”

“Muchos Tacos,” Trixie agreed.   


After tacos and more chocolate cake, Lucifer drove Trixie over to Dan’s apartment.

“She just ate,” Lucifer said at the door.

“Thanks,” Dan retorted shortly.

There was an awkward silence and then Dan spoke up. “Hey man, I’m sorry about-”

“No.”” Lucifer held his hand out between them. “No need to apologize. All that I ask is that you let me help with Trixie.”

Dan's eyebrows shot up. “Um, yea. I’m sure Chloe would have wanted it that way.”

Lucifer nodded. With nothing else to say, he shuffled back to his car.    
  


He didn’t want to go back to the penthouse. It was empty. He didn’t want to go to a bar. Too much risk of having to talk to someone. He didn’t want to be alone but didn’t want to be with anyone else.

Resolved to pouring salt on his wound, he drove to the only place that seemed right, Chloe’s. He parked the Corvette and stared at the door for a moment not quite ready to walk in like he had so many times before. He’d be plagued by memories of her, wrapped in a towel with a gun in her hand or not. She’d roll her eyes and reprimand him  _ “Lucifer, you can’t just walk through the door.” _

He unfurled his wings and teleported straight into her bedroom. It was the one place he didn’t have any memories of them together, and the one place that reminded him so much of her. He gently laid on the bed, curled his wings around himself, clutched her pillow up to his face, and fell into another night of fitful sleep.

  


The next morning came quicker than Lucifer expected. He must have been too exhausted not to sleep. He shook his wings out from around his body, hid them away, and sat up.

He had things to do, affairs to put in order. If he could get everything done in the next few days, he’d be back in Hell by the end of the week. With a little more energy than the day before, Lucifer padded down the stairs. 

He turned the corner to the kitchen and came face to face with his own wings. “What the-”

The wings turned and there before him, smiling the brightest grin he’d ever seen, was Chloe. 

Feathers emitted a soft glow that framed her face and made her look…angelic. The light of morning framed her golden hair and her green dress flowed around her.

Without a single thought in his head, Lucifer took two long strides and crashed his lips into hers, holding her face so she wouldn't disappear. He moved his lips along her mouth, up her cheek, and down her throat.

Chloe's hands followed him every step of the way, tangling in the hair at the base of his neck and curling around his ribs under his jacket. 

He pulled her into a bear hug, wrapping his long arms around her shoulders; salty tears dropping onto Chloe’s head.

“It’s ok. I’m here.” Chloe wrapped her arms around his waist and under his wing bones. 

“How?” was all Lucifer could get out then he swallowed. “No, scratch that. I don’t care how.” He removed his arms from around her, placed his hands on her shoulders and steadied her to look directly into his eyes.  “Chloe, I love you. I’m so sorry I let Mammon kidnap you. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you what was going on. I’m in love with you.”

Chloe smiled, took his hand, and brought it up to her cheek to feel the warmth of him. “I love you too.” She sighed.

Lucifer smiled and leaned down to kiss her again, this time softer, more tentative and loving. Her lips were plump and perfect. She pulled his bottom lip into her mouth a sucked a little. Lucifer moved his hand up and down her face, feeling and touching every part of her beautiful features, memorizing them with his fingers. He pulled away again. “What happened?”

Chloe shook her head. “Later.” She pulled his face down to meet hers. Doing just as Michael taught her, Chloe thought about where she wanted to be.

Feeling the change in scenery Lucifer looked up and found them in his bedroom at the penthouse. “You’re going to have to explain all of this to me.”

“I know, but I told you. Later.”

Chloe kissed Lucifer’s lips and raised her hands underneath his shirt, grazing light touches along his taut stomach. She licked her tongue along his bottom lip and he gladly opened his mouth. She pressed herself closer to him, her wings wrapping around him of their own amorous accord. Lucifer smiled against her mouth, called his own wings to the earthly plane, and wrapped them around hers. When their feathers touched, a light shiver ran up Chloe’s back and out through her new appendages, causing them to ruffle at the sensation.

Breathing a little heavier, Chloe realized a problem. “How do I take this off?” She motioned toward the dress she was wearing.

“Wings don’t conform to earthly physics.” Lucifer muttered while nuzzling at her neck. He slid his hands down her body and lifted the silky dress up. Chloe raised her hands over her head as he freed her body of the soft material, the wings posing no problem.   

“Good to know.”

Unfurling his wings from around them, Lucifer stepped back as the dress fell from his hands into a heap on the floor. This woman, this human held his heart in her hands and standing before him naked and shimmering with heaven’s magic, she looked completely dinive and he wanted nothing more than to worship at her feet. 

Dropping to his knees in front of her, he bowed his head into her stomach and wrapped his arms around her waist. Chloe’s hands instinctively went to his hair, stroking through his natural curls and scratching at his scalp. 

Lucifer tightened his grip around her, a small piece of him still not believing it’s true that she’s here. How could she love him? Why wasn’t she running for the hills, scared out of her mind? Why wasn’t she mad at him? “Will you ever forgive me?” He breathed in her scent and clenched his eyes shut. 

“There’s nothing to forgive.” Chloe whispered.

Lucifer unclenched his arms and caressed light touches up her back. He kissed at her hip bone and slowly worked his way down her legs, feeling, touching, kissing, and licking every inch of her he could. Memorizing the curves of her hips and the smooth skin behind her knees. 

Kneeling before her, he placed a kiss on the top of each of her feet. Bowing one last time at the altar of his love, Lucifer stood again in front of Chloe, pulling her into his arms. He kissed up her neck taking the time to breath in her presence before he rested his forehead on her collarbone. He sighed deeply. “I thought I was never going to see you again.”

Chloe placed her hand at the nape of his neck, as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hey, shhh. It’s ok.” She rubbed at the back of his head, placing kisses along his cheek.

He nuzzled at her neck again and she giggled. He scratched his scruffy beard along her shoulder and she squealed. Pulling his head back, he looked into Chloe’s blue eyes. The love she felt reflected in his own widening smile. Rubbing his thumb across her swollen bottom lip, he leaned in and kissed her with more passion. Exploring her mouth with his tongue, Lucifer caressed his fingers up her back.

In their wing cocoon, Chloe lifted Lucifer’s shirt above his head. They only stopped kissing for a moment as the cloth fell up and over him.

Spreading his wings out, Lucifer positioned Chloe against the bed. With a light push at her shoulder, Chloe fell back onto the satin cover. Hair spread around her body, wings laid out across the bed, Lucifer had never seen anything more beautiful. He unzipped her jeans and tugged them down her legs along with her panties, exposing the soft porcelain skin of her thighs, her knees,  her calves.

Standing, Lucifer quickly removed his own pants and watched Chloe bite her lower lip. He groaned and felt the blood rush to his groin. He started at her feet, kissing each toe, then he licked his way up her leg, placing whispers of kisses on the inside of her knees. He nuzzled his nose on her inner thigh and felt her clench and shiver slightly, her breath hitching.

“Lucifer.” He heard her moan softly, barely a whisper. That was just the sound he needed to hear. He worked his way up to her core, placing light kisses around her center. Chloe’s back arched and she grabbed silk sheets in her fists. He licked at her clitoris once and then pulled it into his mouth sucking and tasting her. His hands migrated up her legs, messaging at her hips, as his wet tongue stroked over her tumescent core. 

He moved one hand between her legs, his mouth hovering only inches away, and teased at her folds. She sighed in response. He pushed one finger in and, feeling how wet she was, slipped in another. He felt her muscles tighten around his fingers, and slowly began to push inside her, letting her body react and move of its own accord. Resuming his ministrations with his mouth on her swollen bud, he heard Chloe’s first cry of pleasure. 

“Oh! Lucifer!” Chloe’s head rolled on the silk sheets and her hips bucked in response. 

Lucifer internally praised himself. Eons of experience and it was only practice for her. Stroking his own ego a little more, Lucifer continued to lap at Chloe and wiggle his fingers inside her, intent on making her orgasm at least twice before he finally slipped his already throbbing cock into her warm and willing body. Her body began to feel hotter, her moans a little more wanton, and her muscles contracted and released at a quickening pace when he felt her fist pulling at his hair beckoning him to stop. 

Lifting his head and concern clearly written on his face, “Is this not good? Do you want something else? What’s wrong?” Fear washed over him. How could he be so stupid? She’s not like all the other women.

Chloe calmed her breathing and with a smile on her face, shook her head against the silk sheets. “No. I just…” She swallowed hard to catch her breath, “I just want it to be special.” 

Lucifer stilled. “Right. Special…” He removed his hand and stared up at her in a moment of silence. “What does that mean exactly?” 

Chloe giggled. “Come here.” She motioned for him to come and kiss her. 

Lucifer smiled back. “Yes.” She was perfect. “One moment, darling.”

Lucifer took one last lick of her clitoris and kissed his way up her flat stomach. Leaving a wet trail from her navel to her sternum, he pulled a nipple into his mouth and sucked gently, then licked his way up her chest and neck, tasting every part of her.

Lucifer positioned himself between her legs, and gazed down at her. This wasn’t just sex, a quick shag to take the edge off. This was more. He kissed Chloe lightly and she gazed up at him with a small grin on her lips. She placed her hands around his neck and moved her hips to wrap her legs around his waist. Lucifer stilled and swallowed. He wanted to hold onto this moment, remember it for the rest of time. She was right. It was special. And he would spend the rest of his life showing her just how special it was.

Steadying himself, he leaned down and connected his lips with hers, their breath mingling and joining together. Locking eyes and with a smooth stroke, Lucifer pushed into Chloe. She tilted her head back, shuttered her eyes closed, and sighed out, “Lucifer.”

He stilled again, feeling her warmth wrap around him. He kissed up her neck and sucked at her earlobe. He pulled out and pushed in again, this time a groan escaped his own throat. 

“Chloe.” His own body was shaking. Nervousness seeped into him as if he was doing this for the first time. Maybe he was. Sensations he’d never felt, the beating of his own heart was rapid, the soft scent of Chloe lingered in his nose, the warm touch of her palm around his neck reassuring him, it was almost overwhelming. 

With even and deliberate thrusts, Lucifer found a rhythm and tried not to let the pleasure control him. Where he would have sped to the finish line and tried for round two, Lucifer steadied himself. Taking in the new and exhilarating emotions that came with doing this with someone you love. Chloe’s muscles clenched around him and she skimmed light touches with fingertips up his back. “Yes! Oh, Lucifer!” She breathed into his ear.

Her protector, his savior. Together they intertwined limbs and kisses, fingers laced together, breath hot and heavy, eyes searching into the other’s soul, in this moment they found each other. 

Struggling to stay calm, Lucifer sped up his movements, his heart racing and sweat beading at his forehead. He kissed Chloe in between heavy breaths. Her muscles spasmed around him and he heard her cry out in pleasure as her orgasm washed around her. Watching her come pushed him over the edge and he came crashing down on top of her, his own orgasm coursing through his body. 

Lucifer's body went limp on top of Chloe, letting the aftershocks burst through him. After an undefined amount of time, Lucifer pulled himself out of Chloe and she twitched in defiance, even now not wanting it to be over.

A soft smile on his face, Lucifer reached out and caressed Chloe’s cheek. “I love you.” 

Chloe responded by grinning from ear to ear and cuddling into his arm, “I love you too.” 

Lucifer snickered as he rolled onto his back beside her. “Is that what making love is?” He pondered.

Chloe chuckled back and nodded, biting her lip. “I didn’t know it could be that good.”

“You make it sound like it’s over,” Lucifer retorted.

“Oh, come on. I know how men work.” Chloe patted at Lucifer’s stomach.

“Men, yes. But angels, no.” Lucifer pushed himself up to lean over her. With a devious smile and a cocked eyebrow, he glanced down and back up at her eyes, directly her. She followed his suggestion and glanced down herself. He was already ready for more.

“Hm, I can get used to that.” She pulled his head down to kiss her again. If she had any say in it, the next one wouldn’t be as soft.


	29. Epilogue

Lucifer gazed down at Chloe. Sleeping soundly against his chest, her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks. He brushed a stray hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She was his everything. He’d protect her and love her until the end of time. Emotions swirled in Lucifer’s head. Joy at seeing her again. Anger at his father for everything that had happened when he fell. Happiness and relief that Chloe had been put back into his life. Fear at the thought of her being his...queen and her being in Hell of all places. The struggle between anger and resentment and thankfulness and joy was too much for him to handle.

Lucifer carefully untangled himself from his sleeping beauty and stood beside the bed. He had to know why. He quickly found his slacks and quietly put them on. Chloe had taken his shirt and was now sleeping in it.

Dressed only in his suit pants, Lucifer unfurled his wings. He closed his eyes and thought about the one place he swore he’d never go again.

When Lucifer opened his eyes, he was in the main courtyard of angels. Dread filled him. The last time he was here, Michael had thrown him to the ground and shackled him. Barefoot and wings tucked behind his back, he walked through the grassy garden towards a bright white marble tower, feathers lightly grazing the ground behind him. With no cufflinks to fix or suit to preen, Lucifer shoved his hands in his pockets and watched his feet as he walked.

“Samael?”

Lucifer turned to the soft voice. “Hey, Raz.” He gave the short woman a smile and opened his arms, hoping the angel would see he meant no harm.

Raziel’s eyes were wide as she walked up to him “What are you doing here?” She whispered and looked around. “If The Legion gets wind of you being here, there will be another battle. You have to leave.”

“Sorry, sis. No can do. I have to talk to Dad.” Lucifer shook his head.

Raziel stared into Lucifer’s eyes with piercing blue eyes of her own. “I won’t tell them.” She pointed at him. “But you must be careful.”

Lucifer nodded and gave her a small smile. “It’s good to see you.”

Raziel’s frown turned and her lips lifted up into a slight grin. “It’s good to see you too. It’s been too long.” She patted at his arm. “Now, go!”

Lucifer hesitated. “Do you know where he is?”

Raziel thought for a moment. “I believe the last time he was seen was with Michael at a bar in the Human’s Quarters.”

“Well, that narrows it down.” Lucifer sighed. Heaven was split into two sections, one for the angels and one for human souls. Both were always expanding, but the human side was more difficult to navigate. Different timelines, fluid materialization and mirroring of the earthly plane, and ever-changing navigation made it difficult to locate a single being, especially when you don’t want that being to know you’re coming.

Lucifer remembered that Chloe had mentioned she had seen her Dad. It was as good a place to start as any. Locating a human soul in the Human Quarters was easier. Lucifer closed his eyes and thought of the human soul he wanted to locate.

When he opened his eyes again, he furrowed his brow. He was looking at his own penthouse, staring into the living room. Behind him he heard laughing. Lucifer turned.

“…so there we were, in the middle of a corn field. Gabriel was hammered on some local meade…” God was behind the bar, sloshing a tumbler in his hand. A man was slapping his palm against the counter, snorting with laughter.

“Dad?” Lucifer asked.

God looked up from his companion with shocked eyes. “Sammy! Sorry, Lucifer!” He walked around the bar and wrapped Lucifer in a big hug.

Lucifer froze, not quite sure what to make of the scene before him. “What are you doing?”

“It’s been too long! I’m hugging you. Isn’t that what the humans do to show affection?” God stepped back, holding Lucifer’s shoulders and looked at his son with a bright smile and warm eyes.

“Umm…” Lucifer’s mind was blank. He had thought about what it would be like to see his father for the first time after so long and he had all sorts of scenarios built up in his head, this certainly wasn’t one of them.

“Come, come.” God waved Lucifer over to the bar. “Have a drink.” God walked back behind the bar and poured another glass.

“Who…” Lucifer still stood where he was and pointed.

“Oh! My apologies. Yes, this is John Decker. John, this is Lucifer. My son.” God smiled between the two and put the glass on the bar counter.

Shaking his head, Lucifer walked up to the bar and held out his hand. “Hello, Mr. Decker. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

“You too!” John shook his hand. “I’d say something irrational right now about you not hurting my daughter, or I’d hurt you, but that seems a little silly doesn’t it?”

Lucifer nodded and downed his drink. “I love her.”

“That’s good. I think this is my cue to leave.” John nodded back and stood. He turned back to God. “So poker, next Tuesday?”

God smiled. “I’ll bring Amitiel. She’s the angel of Truth. Terrible at poker. We’ll clean her out.” He winked.

John smirked, walked to the elevator, and left.

With John gone, an awkward silence fell over the two celestials. Minutes passed without either of them talking. God refilled Lucifer’s tumbler.

Lucifer looked down at his glass of whiskey, swirling the contents around. He had so many things to say. He was so angry, but so relieved. How did he start? With a heavy sigh, Lucifer took a gulp of his drink and let everything go. It had been too long. He had held onto this resentment and anger for thousands of years. A giant weight lifted off of his shoulders and he felt the feelings being replaced with something better, something nicer. But without the hurt and the pain, who was he now? Lucifer wasn’t sure.

God leaned back against the liquor shelves, arms crossed, and looked at his son. They sat in silence for another few minutes before Lucifer finally spoke.

“Thank you.” Lucifer finally met God’s eyes.

“There’s nothing to thank me for. I’d do anything to see you happy.” God said with resolve.

Lucifer shook his head. “No. That’s a lie. If that were true, why did you send me to Hell? Why did you let me suffer for so long?” He was raising his voice.

“Michael was the one that sent you to Hell. By the time I knew what he had done, it was too late.” God looked at Lucifer with pain in his eyes.

“So you did nothing?” Lucifer scoffed.

“Contrary to popular belief, I’m not perfect.” God raised his voice. “I made a mistake. It wasn’t until I saw your little trips to earth that I realized what a mistake it was.”

“And what about Chloe? How did you plan to use her against me?” Lucifer stood at this point and began to pace around the apartment.

“All I knew was that she would cross paths with you. That’s it. I promise!” God swiped his hand in front of himself, a gesture of finality.

Lucifer pushed his hands through his hair. “I want to be so mad at you right now!”

“So be mad!” God walked around the bar and stood in front of his son. “Hit me! Punch me! I know you want to.”

“Well, that’s not fair! It just makes me look like an arsehole if I do!” Lucifer screamed with frustration.

God guffawed. “Well, what do you want then?”

“I want…” Lucifer stopped. “I don’t know what I want.”

“I think you do.” God said a little quieter. “And I think she’s sleeping in your shirt, right now.”

“Eww.” Lucifer grimaced. “Don’t do that.” Lucifer let out a heavy sigh and looked down at his feet.

“You know, you’re the only one of my children that listened to me.” God mused.

“I’m sorry, what?” Lucifer asked, confusion on his face.

“I said to love the humans as you love me.” God looked into Lucifer’s eyes. “Gabriel is close, but he mostly enjoys playing with them. Michael is indifferent but follows my orders. You though. You love humanity. So much so that you prevented the apocalypse from happening.”

Lucifer stood in silence.

“When I saw how much you loved them, I knew you deserved happiness. I’m so proud of you, Lucifer.” God put a hand on Lucifer’s shoulder and shook it a little. “All that I ask of you, is that you forgive me for my ignorance and my mistakes.”

Lucifer felt tears in his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he felt anymore. As the tears began to fall down his cheeks, Lucifer’s lip trembled, and he opened up his arms to his father.

God smiled, sighed, and pulled his son into his arms.

Lucifer clenched onto God’s back and sobbed into his father’s suit jacket, sniffling up his runny nose, and letting go of everything.

When he pulled away, he saw the mess he made.

“Oh great. Another suit ruined.” God frowned at the fabric.

Lucifer laughed then, a big laugh, a belly laugh that relieved the stress he’d had himself under for centuries. “Oh, Dad. I think we’re more alike than I ever though.”

“You get your taste for the finer things in life from me. The stubbornness comes from your mother.” God pointed before turning back to the bar.

“Dad! You promised!” Michael came storming through the elevator doors at that moment. He stopped suddenly when he saw his twin.

God had asked for Lucifer’s forgiveness. They worked things out or would over time. But Michael had known for eons that what he did was a mistake. So, it came as no surprise to anyone in the room when Lucifer walked right up to his brother and punched him square in the jaw, sending the black winged angel flying across the penthouse to slam against the stone wall.

“You dropped me in Hell!” Lucifer’s eyes turned red as he stalked towards the crumpled Michael. Picking up Michael by his angelic garb, Lucifer pinned him to the wall. “Tell me, when you realized you were wrong did you laugh and say ‘oops my mistake’ or did you just ignore it all together?”

Lucifer punched Michael again, causing blood to pour out of Michael’s nose.

God took a sip of his whiskey and watched his boys fight. They couldn’t…or better yet, wouldn’t kill each other. Best to let them brawl it out.

“I thought I was doing the right thing!” Michael gritted out between blows.

“You turned everyone against me!” Lucifer growled. “I’m the scapegoat for everyone’s evil deeds now! And it’s all your fault!”

“Actually…” God said quietly.

Lucifer held back his fist and turned his burning eyes to his father. “What?!” Michael still hanging limply against the wall.

“I think being the ruler of Hell suits you.” God took a sip.

Lucifer dropped Michael down. The beaten angel crumpled and  groaning on the floor.

“How can you say that?! I’m the angel of light and art and color. I was good, dammit!” Lucifer pleaded.

God smiled. “How do you think anyone else would have fared in Hell? Hmm? Do you think Michael would have done well? Do you think Gabriel would have retained his sense of humor down there? Do you think Raziel would have kept her thirst for knowledge? No. You are the strongest of them all. Only you can rule. And besides, you’re still good! You have passion and curiosity that can be matched by none.”

“Still the favorite son.” Michael grumbled from the floor.

Lucifer glared down at his twin, growled, and begrudgingly let out a heavy sigh. He held his hand out to his brother to help him up.

Michael looked up at him with skepticism.

“I’m not going to hit you again.” Lucifer glared down and picked his brother up.

“You know, your mother and I have found that therapy is a great way to heal relationships. Maybe you should consider going to see someone together.” God pointed between the two.

“You’re going to therapy with mum?” Lucifer asked, shocked.

“Yes, it’s quite enlightening. Ha. See what I did there. Enlightening. Because you know…we created light and –“ God continued to talk as his sons stared at him in apt horror.

“Did he just make a Dad joke?” Lucifer turned to Michael.

Michael scowled. “It’s been happening more and more lately. I think this therapy thing is bad for him.”

God giggled to himself about his own joke and shook his head. “Oh, such fun. Anyway, back to business.”

“Yes, you still have to go speak with Jesus. He’s starting to ramble about being a profit again. If we don’t do something soon, he’ll start turning the rivers to wine and you know how difficult it is to wrangle up drunken cherubs.” Michael said.

Lucifer laughed. “Jesus is throwing another fit, huh?”

“They just keep getting worse. I don’t know what we’re going to do with him.” Michael shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter how much you nag me, I’ll take care of it when I’m good and ready.”

Lucifer shrugged. “Send him to Hell for a few centuries. That’ll put him straight.”

“That’s-“ Michael stopped. “That’s actually a great idea.”

“No!” God interjected. “I’ll take care of it. Maybe he needs to see Linda.”

“Linda?”

“Yes, the therapist.” God said.

“You’re seeing Linda?” Lucifer raised his voice.

“Of course! She did wonders with you.” God replied, not seeing a problem.

“Does she know that she’s meeting with THE God and Goddess?” Lucifer asked.

God sheepishly raised his hands. “She’s a smart woman. She’ll figure it out.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “Ok.”

“Do you want to help with Jesus? Clearly, Dad’s not going to do anything about it.” Michael asked Lucifer.

“No. I should get back to Chloe.” Lucifer spread his wings. “You should…come visit.”

Michael nodded. “I like her. She’s…nice.” Emotions of any kind were never Michael’s strong suit. “She’ll make a good queen.”

“Oh! We have to start planning the wedding!” God clapped his hands together.

“Wedding?” Lucifer scoffed at his father.

“I don’t know where we’re going to find a venue big enough. All your brothers and sisters will want to come. Oh! Beatrice can be the flower girl! We’ll have to have Raziel create the invitations.” God started to plan things on his hands.

Both Michael and Lucifer stared at God like he had three heads, which was known to happen from time to time, but this was different.

“Let us date first, yea?” Lucifer held up his hand to stop the rambling divinity from getting too far.

Michael closed his eyes and cracked his neck. “He’s gotten…soft and…weird. I can’t get him to do anything anymore.”

“Well, that’s because I’m a grumpy old man and I don’t have to do anything you tell me to.” God put his hands on his hips and stuck his tongue out.

Lucifer raised his eyebrows. This was by far the weirdest interaction he had ever had with his father.

“Ok, I’m going to go. Bye…Dad.” Lucifer looked at God.

“I don’t get an invite to come visit? What am I? Chopped liver?” God giggled again. “Oh no! Wait! Before you go!” 

Lucifer turned and looked at God, part of him expecting this whole thing to be a lie and for God to damn him back to hell. 

“Did Jesus pay for humanity’s sins with cash or credit?” God asked.

Lucifer’s mouth dropped open. “Huh?”

Michael groaned next to him. “Not again dad…” 

God’s smile widened. “He didn’t use either. He used PRAY-Pal. Ha! Get it? PRAY-Pal?” God slumped over in a fit of giggles. 

Lucifer grimaced at the terrible joke. “Yea…I’ll uhh…See you round.” He gave one last warning look to Michael. “Good luck with that.” 

With a wave of his wings, Lucifer was back in Chloe’s bedroom. No time had passed at all. She was still sound asleep when crawled into bed and wrapped himself around her.

Chloe groaned. “Where were you?”

“Had a chat with Dad.” Lucifer placed a light kiss on her forehead.

“He’s a little eccentric.” Chloe yawned and cuddled into Lucifer’s warmth.

“Yea…a little.” Lucifer mused. After years of internal torment and constant anger, Lucifer put his head against Chloe’s and sighed. How anticlimactic. The original fight between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ ended with a terrible Dad joke.


End file.
